IPL 2021 set to have smooth ride in the UAE, courtesy BCCI's latest intelligent suggestion

The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League has been no stranger to controversies. A number of fans had raised apprehension of conducting competition of such a grand scale in the country amid the ongoing health crisis. Players testing positive for COVID inside the IPL 2021 bio-bubble proved to the final nail in the coffin and the tournament was suspended because of the same. The Sourav Ganguly-headed Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is leaving no stones unturned to ensure there are no lapses during the second phase of the cash-rich league.

IPL news: BCCI's latest suggestion to ICC regarding IPL 2021 and T20 World Cup 

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday confirmed that the T20 World Cup which was slated to take place in India will now be hosted in the UAE and Oman by the BCCI. ICC also announced the T20 World Cup venues where the marquee event's matches will take place. According to a report by InsideSport, the BCCI has convinced ICC to have all qualifiers in Oman in place of UAE.

It is worth mentioning that the ICC was concerned about the quality of the wickets in UAE for the T20 World Cup, as they feared that the surfaces could deteriorate after the second phase of the IPL 2021. However, with Sourav Ganguly and co. making sure that the 12 qualifying matches will be hosted in Oman, they now will have adequate time to hand over the pitches to the ICC by October 10. According to recent reports, the Indian board plans to resume the IPL 2021 from September 17 and they plan to finish the league by October 10. 

As per the latest IPL news, the remaining portion of the 14th edition of India's flagship T20 tournament is set to resume in September. After being suspended for more than a month, the IPL 2021 return will be hosted in the UAE where the first game of the remaining season will take place. A total of 31 matches, including the playoffs and the final will be played in the Gulf country. 

T20 World Cup news 

The upcoming edition will be the first Men’s T20 World Cup played since 2016 when West Indies beat England in the final in India. As per the ICC, the eight teams competing in the preliminary stage are Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland, Namibia, Oman, and Papua New Guinea, before the play-off stage and the Final on November 14.

The ICC, in its press release, also shared BCCI President Sourav Ganguly's statement who said, "The BCCI is looking forward to hosting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 tournament in UAE and Oman. We would have been happier hosting it in India but considering the uncertainty due to the COVID 19 situation and the importance of a world championship, the BCCI will now continue to host this tournament in UAE and Oman. The BCCI is looking forward to creating a spectacle."

Image source: PTI