The central government on Monday had formally approved the hosting of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League in the United Arab Emirates. This information was given by the chairman of the league Brijesh Patel. “Yes, we have received all the written approvals,” Patel confirmed to PTI in an interview.
The IPL event will be held in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai from September 19 to November 10. The government had approved the BCCI in principle last week, but could not get a written copy. Due to the high prevalence of corona in India, the tournament is being held in the UAE this year. The permission of the Ministry of Home Affairs, External Affairs and Sports is mandatory for any sports body in India to conduct local competitions abroad.
Most of the teams will leave for the IPL on August 20 in the UAE. Former champions Chennai Super Kings are expected to leave on August 22. Some franchises are preparing for the corona test of their players and they will be heading to the UAE from major cities.
According to a senior board official – “We have now informed the Emirates Board with the approval of the government. We are now giving written approval to all the eight teams”. Some teams will leave for the UAE on August 22. According to the BCCI’s SOP, “It’s always better for franchisees to take a PCR test, and it’s best if they enter the UAE with a negative report”. He added, “While it is mandatory to test two COVID-19, some franchisees will conduct four tests before leaving India. Players will be able to leave for the UAE after the test report is negative”.