IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel predicts the viewership of the IPL 2020 will be the highest ever. The reason being, fans have been waiting for the cricketing action to restart after the pandemic influenced the gap. The Indian cricketers along with some international players haven’t been back on the pitch since the coronavirus triggered lockdown around the world. IPL will be the first instance where the fans will be able to watch their favorite players back in action.
The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be played in the UAE this season. The change in venue was commanded because of the increasing cases of COVID-19 in India. The matches in IPL 2020 will be played in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.
IPL 2020
“I feel this year’s viewership will be highest ever”: IPL Chairman
IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel has said that the fans have been looking forward to watching live cricket and hence he feels this year’s viewership of the IPL will be the highest. He also stated that this year’s IPL should be bigger than the last year.
“It is very satisfying to see IPL happening after all the hurdles on the way. Finally, we are able to make it happen but this is only the beginning as it is a long tournament so we can not afford to be complacent but definitely, it is very satisfying,” Brijesh Patel told ANI.
Brijesh Patel. Credits: Twitter
“I think cricket fans were bit disappointed when it was (IPL) postponed and nothing was certain about the fate for the tournament. But now they (fans) are looking forward to seeing some live cricket so I feel this year’s viewership will be highest ever and this year’s IPL should be bigger than last year as well,” Brijesh Patel added.
IPL Chairman extends his gratitude to the BCCI AND ECB who made it possible to conduct the IPL
Patel has stated that the IPL was only possible by the hard work of the BCCI and IPL officials. He also thanked the Emirates Cricket Board who were willing to host the IPL in UAE, in an ongoing pandemic. The IPL chairman also said that they are giving high priority to the safety and health of the players and support staff in the tournament.
“It is also the hard work and patience of all our members in BCCI and IPL officials, they have put in a lot of hard work to make it happen. To start with, it was the Indian government who gave us the nod to host the IPL abroad and would also like to thank ECB, who willingly wanted to have IPL in UAE,” Brijesh Patel said.
BCCI. Image Credit: Twitter.
“See there is no hold on the pandemic, no one could control it so we had to keep waiting and watching and find out that where and when we can play. It was in no one’s hand it could be anywhere but UAE had controlled the COVID-19 situation. We are taking care of all the guidelines and giving priority to the health and safety of players which is no doubt paramount for us,” Brijesh Patel added.
The IPL 2020 will begin from September 19 till November 10, a total 53-day campaign will see all the eight teams play in UAE. The venue this time is UAE, Dubai will play host to 24 games, 20 matches will be hosted by Abu Dhabi while Sharjah will hold 12 games.
