BCCI sends acceptance letter to Emirates Cricket Board to host IPL 2020 in UAE

The BCCI has sent an acceptance letter to the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) for hosting the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), chairman of the IPL's Governing Council, Brijesh Patel, confirmed on Sunday.

The IPL was supposed to take place in India from March 29 but was postponed indefinitely due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ECB showed a willingness to host the tournament and officially wrote to BCCI regarding the same. The BCCI accepted the offer, which means the tournament will now take place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Khaleej Times quoted Brijesh Patel as saying:

"Yes, we have sent the acceptance letter to the ECB and both the boards will be working together from now on to stage the tournament."

A part of IPL 2014 was held in UAE

Due to the general elections in India in 2014, a part of the 2014 edition of the IPL was played in the UAE, where every team played five matches each. The BCCI is, therefore, familiar with the way the UAE handles their hosting duties, with the trust between the two boards now stronger than ever.

Brijesh Patel also mentioned that eight franchises- Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals, Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad- will have their respective training sessions in the UAE and will need three to four weeks to get accustomed to their surroundings.

Patel added that the training camp will be held in a bio-secure environment with all the necessary precautions, keeping in mind the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 67-year-old had earlier announced that the IPL will take place from 19 September to 8 November and stated that they were waiting for approval from the Indian government. He told ANI:

"The fans will enjoy the full tournament from September 19 to November 8 and further course of action will be discussed with the franchises in the Governing Council meeting."

The ICC recently announced the postponement of the ICC T20 World Cup, which was supposed to take place from October 18, thereby providing a free window for the IPL to go ahead this year.