A few weeks after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) offered to host the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League, UAE has also come forward with a proposal to stage the T20 league. As per a report in Hindustan Times, UAE has offered to host IPL 2020 but BCCI is yet to take a call on that.
“The UAE has offered to host the IPL if we want them to. But right now when there is no international travel, there is no question of taking a call on that,” Arun Dhumal, the BCCI treasurer, was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
UAE hosted the first 20 matches of IPL 2014 as the April leg of the tournament was shifted out of the country due to General Elections. BCCI did consider playing the league outside India in 2019 as well but it managed to stage the complete season in India.
Talking of IPL 2020, the league was first pushed to April 15. Since the country was under lockdown till April 14, it was confirmed that the board won’t be able to stage the league in April.
Soon after the government extended the lockdown till May 3, BCCI decided to postpone the league for an indefinite period. The board did not cancel the league and remains hopeful of staging it after a few months.
Shifting IPL out of India is surely one of the options that the board might consider if the Indian government does not lift the restrictions. Franchises, BCCI, players and other stakeholders want the league to happen, even if it is a truncated one.
