UAE may host delayed IPL season

NEW DELHI • The Indian Premier League (IPL) will start in the United Arab Emirates from September if India's government allows it, its chairman said yesterday.

The postponement of the Twenty20 World Cup until next year because of the coronavirus pandemic has opened the way for the suspended IPL season to get under way after multiple delays.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) now wants to hold the tournament, which draws top stars from around the world, from September until early November.

"It will be held in the UAE, but first, the board will seek permission from the Indian government to stage it there," IPL chairman Brijesh Patel said.

He added that exact dates would be decided by the IPL's governing council in a meeting next week.

"But we are looking at September-October and a bit of November for the event to take place."

Media reports have said the IPL will run from Sept 26 to Nov 7.

Patel would not say whether the games would be played behind closed doors, with the final decision resting with the UAE and Indian authorities.

The IPL is the BCCI's main revenue earner. It has said it would lose more than US$500 million (S$695 million) if this year's tournament does not go ahead.

The seven-week extravaganza, which normally plays to packed stadiums across the country of 1.3 billion people, is estimated to generate more than US$11 billion for the Indian economy.

The BCCI had to wait until the International Cricket Council postponed the World Cup on Monday before announcing its plan.

The IPL has been held outside India twice, in the years it clashed with national elections. South Africa hosted it in 2009 and part of it was held in the UAE in 2014.

The 13th edition of IPL should have started on March 29, but it has been postponed because of a nationwide lockdown enacted to stem the spread of the virus.

A host of international stars, including England's Ben Stokes and Australians Steve Smith, David Warner and Pat Cummins all have IPL contracts.

Cummins will be the most expensive overseas player this year after the Kolkata Knight Riders agreed a US$2.17 million (S$3.02 million) fee for him.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE