Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Jay Shah feels that the ongoing second phase of the IPL 2021 in the UAE will prepare the Indian team players in the best possible manner for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021 which will also be held at the same venues.
BCCI already announced the 15-member Indian squad for the ICC event along with 3 stand-by players. Though the teams are allowed to tweak their squad till October 10, barring any injuries.
The T20 World Cup 2021 was supposed to be played in India, but in June, the BCCI and ICC took the decision to move the event to UAE due to the second wave of Coronavirus pandemic in India. Oman was added as a co-host, while Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah, along with Muscat will be the venues for the matches.
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"It is with great delight that I write this letter to you. The second phase of the Indian Premier League is entering its business end and as always, there is an intense battle to qualify for the playoff stage. To the outside world, this may appear as an exact repeat of last year when the BCCI hosted the 13th season of the IPL in the UAE. However, only the BCCI and its State Associations know the effort that has gone behind in completing the 14th season of the IPL," Shah wrote in his letter to all state associations, which has been accessed by ANI.
Further talking about the challenges, Shah said: "While we never ruled out the possibility of someone testing positive midway through the league, we had done our best to tighten all loose ends. Despite the stringent measures put in place, the bio-bubble was breached by the virus forcing us to suspend the league keeping everyone's health and safety on priority."
The BCCI secretary then talked about how the second phase of IPL will serve as perfect preparation for Team India for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
"I am confident that the second phase of the IPL will provide ideal preparation ahead of the World Cup and will prepare Team India in the best possible manner. As we now start our countdown to the playoff stage and the big IPL final, I certainly wish to see all of you in attendance," he added.
The Secretary has also invited presidents and secretaries of the state associations to attend Qualifier 2 and the final of the IPL 2021.
(ANI inputs)
