IPL 2021 cricket tournament to resume in the UAE this September

The 2021 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament which was suspended in May as a result of the accelerating Covid-19 pandemic in India, will resume later this year and will be held in the UAE.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Saturday that the remainder of the season will be held within the UAE in September and October this year.

In a statement on its website, the BCCI attributed the decision to hold the IPL in the UAE due to the monsoon season in India during those months.

There are 31 matches that are yet to be played in the IPL 2021 season. While dates of the matches and the venues haven’t yet been confirmed, it is expected to be held from September 18-October 10.

NEWS ? : BCCI to conduct remaining matches of VIVO IPL in UAE.

More details here – https://t.co/r7TSIKLUdM #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/q3hKsw0lkb

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 29, 2021

The decision was taken at a Special General Meeting (SGM) held virtually, where members unanimously agreed to resume the IPL.

This is the third occasion that the IPL is being shifted to the UAE. In 2014, on account of India’s parliamentary elections during the IPL season, the IPL was held in the UAE for the first time to avoid any disruption to the game because of the elections.

The entire 2020 season of the IPL was held in the UAE as a result of the pandemic. Eight teams participated in the 53-day tournament last year, with the final played on November 10 where Mumbai Indians emerged as winners. The matches are slated to be held at Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Over 550 million viewers are believed to have watched the 2020 season.

Several UAE entities have become key sponsors of the tournament. The Expo 2020 Dubai became the principal sponsor of the IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals earlier this year.

In September, Dubai-based global port operator DP World too signed a long-term sponsorship agreement with Indian Premier League (IPL) team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to become its global logistics partner.

Read: IPL 2020: Dubai’s DP World signs long-term sponsorship agreement with Royal Challengers Bangalore

On Saturday’s meeting at the SGM, the BCCI also agreed to seek an extension from the ICC to take a call on the hosting the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Local media reports in India have said that BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah will join vice president Rajeev Shukla in Dubai for the ICC Board Meeting on June 1, where they will discuss the fate of the T20 World Cup scheduled to be held in India in October.