IPL 2021 set to resume on September 19, final on October 15

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has notified the resumption date of the 14^th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is set to start on September 19, with the final to be played on October 15.

This league’s 2021 edition was postponed on May 4 after multiple Covid-19 cases emerged inside the bio-bubble of four different camps across two cities, forcing the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council to suspend the season indefinitely.

Ever since then, the board has been tirelessly looking out for ways to resume the curtailed edition to avoid massive financial losses. A BCCI official confirmed the recent developments during the meeting of the BCCI and Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) officials, where three venues – Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi – have been zeroed in to complete the remaining 31 games.

IPL 2021 to resume on September 19

“The discussions went really well and with ECB already giving us the oral nod to host the event ahead of the BCCI SGM, it was about closing the deal over the last week. The first game after the season resumes will be held on September 19 while we will have the final on October 15. The BCCI was always keen on a 25-day window to finish the remaining matches,” the official said.

On being asked about the situation regarding the availability of foreign players, the official said, “The discussions have started and we are keeping fingers crossed that the foreign players will be mostly available. If a couple of them do not manage to turn up, we shall then decide on the future course of action. But keeping fingers crossed for now and hoping to have an action-packed end to the 14th edition in UAE.”

The official, however, stated that the board is confident about ensuring foreign player participation to the maximum extent. “What we were made aware after the BCCI SGM is that the board will be speaking to the foreign boards and check on the availability of the foreign cricketers. We are confident that the BCCI will find the best possible solution and honestly it is a matter of the BCCI officials speaking to the respective board officials, so we should wait to hear from the board on this.

“Yes, if we do end up missing some of the foreign stars, that is an area which would need some attention when it comes to picking replacements as the foreign players are also integral to the teams. Team balance can go for a toss, so keeping fingers crossed on that one,” the franchise official said.