With the IPL set to be held in UAE this term, reduction in the number of venues makes it easier to track movement for the Anti Corruption Unit. 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.
The IPL 2020 was originally scheduled to kick off from March 29 was postponed indefinitely after April 15 due to the rising number of coronavirus cases in the nation.
The Anti Corruption Unit will closely monitor the IPL 2020
With the event being shifted to UAE and lesser venues, ACU chief Ajit Singh said that social media interactions will be closely monitored by his team. If any approaches for the betting are to be made it will be more on social media due to the pandemic and restricted movements. He also said the players have to be careful and inform anything suspicious at the earliest.
“See, while the number of venues are less, the hurdles of physical movement due to the coronavirus pandemic also means that approaches if any will be made through social media. So, we are going to be closely monitoring the same and ensuring that there is nothing that escapes the team’s eyes,” he said.
“Yes, it( the social media handles of players) are handled by their teams in some cases. But at the end of the day, it is their accounts. So, the players must have a team around them which is aware of these things and no sooner they see anything suspicious, they should report the same to us. It has to be a joint effort,” he explained.
Seniors like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma Have Done A Brilliant Job In Educating Youngsters: ACU Chief
The ACU chief has lauded the efforts of senior players like Kohli, Dhoni and Rohit who have played a good role in educating the young lads in the team of potential threats. He said it has shown the responsible behaviour of the Indian player who has kept these things in mind
“I must say our seniors like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma among other have been brilliant and apart from the education we conduct every season, these seniors have been great mentors and have ensured that the youngsters coming in are aware that this is a zone which they should not enter at any cost. This has actually shown in how Indian players have conducted themselves keeping these things in mind,” he said.
The concern of location doesn’t matter says Ajit Singh, ACU chief. He said they will be keeping an eye on social media and are keeping everything possible to focus on that.
“Since we are monitoring movements the distance doesn’t matter whether a person interested in betting is 200 ft away or 2000 ft away. The challenge is social media and we are doing all things necessary to focus on that,” he said.
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 and matches will be played in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.