BCCI Looking To Host Remaining 31 Matches Of IPL 2021 In UAE In September-October Window

BCCI is looking to host the remaining 31 matches in UAE in the September-October window after the conclusion of India’s tour of England later this year.

At its upcoming Special General Meeting on May 29, the Indian board may finalize the window to complete the remainder of IPL 2021. According to a report, the board is looking to host the remaining 31 matches in UAE in the September-October window after the conclusion of India’s tour of England later this year.

BCCI May Request ECB To Reduce The Gap Between The 2nd And 3rd Test To Have More Time To Work With

India will start its UK tour from June 18 when it plays New Zealand in the final of the ICC World Test Championship. Afterwards, the tourists will take on England in a five-match Test series starting August 4. The tour concludes on September 14 leaving BCCI a realistic window between September 15 to October 15.

While BCCI hasn’t placed a formal request with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) yet, it’s been speculated that it may ask the gap between the 2nd Test and the third Test between the two teams to be reduced from nine days to four which will give the Indian cricket board more time to work with.

“If that gap can be reduced to four, it will allow BCCI five extra days to make use of,” The Times of India quoted a source as saying. “If we can have those extra days eked out from the India-England schedule, then it adds to the window.”

The BCCI is also planning to conduct the second phase with the involvement of overseas players and plans to fly out English cricketers from the UK to UAE.

“If not (able to reduce the gap) then within these 30 days, a full day will have to be set aside for the Indian team and the English cricketers to travel from the UK to the UAE, five days will have to be set aside for the knockouts later.

That will leave the BCCI with 24 days to conclude 27 matches. This window has four weekends available, which means a total of eight Saturdays and Sundays for double-headers, that can accommodate 16 matches. That will leave the BCCI with 11 matches to be held in 19 days. That’s a week extra,” TOI quoted sources as saying.

BCCI also thinks that the IPL will serve as a ‘perfect platform’ for the warm-up to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup that India is expected to host from the second half of October 2021.

BCCI And ICC Will Monitor The Situation To Hold The Upcoming T20 World Cup

BCCI’s plans depend on ICC T20 World Cup to be conducted in India. As the stadiums are to be handed over to the ICC at least 15 days prior to the start of any ICC tournament, there won’t be enough time for the IPL if it was to happen in the UAE.

While the third wave of COVID-19 is still a possibility, the BCCI and the ICC will be monitoring the situation and a call will only be taken at a later date. As of now, the World Cup stays in India while the IPL 2021 Phase 2 moves to the UAE.

The BCCI, which has called for a Special General Meeting (SGM) on May 29, is likely to announce the plans on that day. The dilemma has been over two factors — first the ICC T20 World Cup and the second is India’s 5-match Test series against England.

The ICC T20 World Cup is scheduled to be played from October 18 in India. But if the COVID-19 crisis continues in India, UAE will be the likely destination with ICC taking a call on June 2 AGM. But BCCI is still trying to keep the World Cup in India that will see the stadiums in the UAE available for IPL matches.