BCCI reveals Sourav Ganguly's next step after recent IPL 2021 announcement

The Sourav Ganguly-led Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday had officially announced that the remaining games of the IPL 2021 will be completed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) considering the monsoon season in India in the months of September-October this year. The decision was taken at a Special General Meeting (SGM) held virtually, where members unanimously agreed to resume the IPL 2021. This will be the second consecutive year when the IPL 2021 will be played in the UAE.

IPL news:  Sourav Ganguly and Jay Shah to depart for UAE on Wednesday

Last year, the tournament was completely conducted in the UAE, however, this year, the competition that was started in India will see the remainder of it being played in the UAE after the emergence of COVID-19 cases in the bio-bubble. BCCI President Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah were supposed to travel to Dubai to discuss IPL 2021. However, as per the latest development, the BCCI premier has cancelled their trip and will now hold a virtual meeting.

According to a report by PTI, Sourav Ganguly and Jay Shah will now depart for the UAE on Wednesday to have discussions on the organization of IPL with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB). BCCI Vice-President, Rajiv Shukla, while speaking to Khaleej Times, said that he is already in the UAE and now a team of BCCI office-bearers, President Sourav Ganguly, secretary Jay Shah and the IPL chairman Brijesh Patel will be reaching the country in a couple of days.

During the SGM, the BCCI also sought an extension of time from the ICC to take an appropriate call on the hosting of the marque event. As reported by PTI, the ICC is likely to make a formal announcement of its final decision during its annual conference that starts on July 18. A BCCI source told PTI that the COVID-19 cases in India are reducing but it is still not a situation where the board can firmly commit to hosting the T20 World Cup 2021. He added that Ganguly and Shah are right in asking for one month’s time to decide.

IPL news: BCCI secretary Jay Shah reveals main reason behind shifting to UAE

Shah has said that the call was taken to reschedule the 14th edition of the IPL in the Middle East due to weather restrictions. See we took this decision to conduct IPL in the UAE because it will be monsoon here and it will not be feasible to hold matches here in September and that is why we are taking the IPL to the UAE," Jay Shah told ANI. "We are moving IPL to the UAE only due to weather restrictions as we cannot hold IPL here at the time of monsoon. How can we hold IPL in September in Mumbai or Ahmedabad or any other venues at the time of monsoon? It doesn't make any sense", he added.

SOURCE: ICC TWITTER