Lasith Malinga and Isuru Udana likely to miss the first week of IPL 2020

Sri Lankan cricketers Lasith Malinga and Isuru Udana will be missing the first week of the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League as Sri Lanka Cricket is planning to host the inaugural season of the Lankan Premier League (LPL) in the month of August and September. Though the cricket board is yet to finalize the logistics for the tournament, the final is likely to be organized on September 20.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to host the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from September 19 to November 8. This means that the LPL will wrap up one day after the commencement of the much-awaited Indian T20 league. Also, several reports have claimed that the Sri Lanka authorities would not allow any player to leave their home tournament mid-way for participating in IPL or any other international league.

In this case, Lasith Malinga and Isuru Udana would be able to leave for UAE to join their respective IPL franchises camps after September 20 only. Also, after arriving in Dubai, they would have to undergo a COVID-19 test and would be kept in isolation for a period of 72 hours. The players would only be allowed to participate in the cash-rich league if they test negative for the virus.

Malinga plays for the Mumbai Indians while Isuru will be making his debut in IPL this year with Royal Challengers Bangalore. Over the years, Malinga has proved to be a valuable asset for the Mumbai Indians. In 122 IPL matches, the 36-year old has taken 170 crucial scalps at an economy of 7.14 and an average of 19.8.

Australian and English players to miss the first week of the IPL 2020

Apart from the Lanka cricketers, a handful of capped England and Australian players can also miss the first few days of the Indian Premier League due to their international commitments. The Australian cricket team is expected to tour England for a three-match ODI and T20 series with the last match to be tentatively played on September 16.

This means that the cricketers would be leaving for Dubai from London either on the same day or the next. After their arrival in the UAE, all the players would be tested for the novel coronavirus. Once tested negative, they would have to serve the isolation period.

The cricketers would also be expected to follow the SOPs set by BCCI in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic before joining their respective IPL camps. All this process can take 7-10 days and thus will delay the participation of England and Australian cricketers in the much-awaited Indian league.