Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
Cricket fans around the world are eagerly waiting for the resumption of Indian Premier League 2021 which was suspended in May owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. While it initially looked like the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will find it hard to host the remaining matches of the tournament, they did find a way to work around the packed international schedule and have announced that the remaining matches will be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) prior to the T20 World Cup.
According to multiple reports in the media, the showpiece event is set to get underway on September 19 with the final happening on October 15. However, latest developments suggest that the Indian cricket board may in fact be mulling to advance the IPL 2021 dates a bit so that the players get a bit of a breather before they gather for the T20 World Cup. Notably, the T20 World Cup is set to begin a few days after the conclusion of the IPL.
Furthermore, planning and preparation has already begun for IPL 2022. BCCI Treasurer Arun Dhumal has gone on record acknowledging the board's plan of adding two more franchises in the tournament from next year.
"We are looking to have two franchises in next year’s IPL, but we will have to see the market and also assess the situation prevailing in the country. We can’t guarantee a timeline because there are a lot of things we have to consider," Dhumal was quoted as saying in an InsideSport report.
Rescheduled IPL final will give the players a two-week gap
Coming back to IPL 2021, as per the current reported schedule the competition is supposed to culminate on October 15 with the first draw of T20 World Cup beginning two days afterwards. However, the main draw of the competition, which is where Team India players will come into the picture, is apparently beginning on October 24 and advancing the IPL final to October 10 is being planned in an attempt to give them a two-week rest before another action-packed assignment.