Picture Credit: IPL/BCCI
It was on May 4 when IPL 2021 got postponed midway following the emergence of COVID-19 cases in the teams' bio-bubbles. Since then the BCCI has been contemplating conducting the remainder of the tournament safely. Keeping the situation of India in mind, they even moved the 2021 edition out of the country to the United Arab Emirates.
According to reports in the media, the mega event will kick off on September 19 with the final being played on October 15. However, as per the latest update on the schedule, the BCCI is planning to conclude the mega event by October 10 in order to provide a two-week break to the players of the Indian team who will be joining the bio-bubble of the national team soon after the IPL for the T20 World Cup.
It is worth noting that the T20 World Cup qualifiers are expected to kick off on October 17, with the main leg starting toward the month-end. Meanwhile, the Indian players will be arriving at the event following a packed schedule; the series against England and then IPL 2021. Hence, a break would definitely prove to be a good booster for the players.
Mega auction to take place ahead of IPL 2022
BCCI is currently planning to have two additional IPL teams by the next edition. In case that happens, there is going to be a mega auction. "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," said BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal as quoted by IANS on Monday.
In a mega auction, all the players, excluding three retentions, will go under the hammer. However, each team will have two right-to-match cards during the bidding process.
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