IPL season to resume from September 19

IPL season to resume from September 19

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had suspended IPL 2021 due to a spike in the number of coronavirus cases inside IPL’s bio-bubble.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 is set to resume on September 19 while the final of the 14th edition will be played on October 15. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had suspended IPL 2021 due to a spike in the number of coronavirus cases inside IPL’s bio-bubble. After a lot of discussions, the board decided to shift the remaining matches to UAE due to the rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in India.

Speaking to ANI, a BCCI official confirmed that the tournament will resume on September 19 while the final will be played on October 15.

The discussions went really well and with ECB already giving us the oral nod to host the event ahead of the BCCI SGM, it was about closing the deal over the last week. The first game after the season resumes will be held on September 19 while we will have the final on October 15. The BCCI was always keen on a 25-day window to finish the remaining matches,” the official said.

With most of the overseas players back home, and with a packed calendar ahead, it remains to be seen how many overseas players can turn up for the remaining matches.

When asked about the availability of overseas players, the official added that the Indian board has kept its fingers crossed and talks are underway.

“The discussions have started and we are keeping fingers crossed that the foreign players will be mostly available. If a couple of them do not manage to turn up, we shall then decide on the future course of action. But keeping fingers crossed for now and hoping to have an action-packed end to the 14th edition in UAE,” the official said.

The official added that the overseas players form an integral part of the tournament and picking replacements for them would be a challenge if they do not turn up.

“Yes, if we do end up missing some of the foreign stars, that is an area which would need some attention when it comes to picking replacements as the foreign players are also integral to the teams. Team balance can go for a toss, so keeping fingers crossed on that one,” the franchise official said.

Prior to the suspension of IPL 2021, 31 matches were still left to be organised including the playoffs as well as the final, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was actively looking for a window to conduct the remainder of the cash-rich tournament.