IPL 2020: Final to be held on November 10; fans might be allowed to attend

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the most anticipated events as cricket returns after the pandemic-enforced break. Scheduled to be held in the UAE from September 19, the league is expected to put a smile on the faces of cricket fans all over the world.

A BCCI official recently disclosed the date of the final, as well as the plans for conducting games in a time when players might not be at their usual fitness levels.

Speaking to IANS, the official revealed that the IPL 2020 final will be held on November 10, which is a Tuesday (in India). This will be the first time that an IPL final is held on a weekday.

"We have decided to go up till November 10 and so the final will be held on a weekday for the first time. Also, to ensure that there is enough gaps between games considering the travelling and the bio secure environment and keeping all these things in mind, we will have 10 double headers this season," the official said.

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IPL evening games advanced by 30 mins; fans might attend

The IPL is scheduled to take place in the UAE

The BCCI official also stated that the evening games of the IPL, which usually start at 8 PM, will be advanced by half an hour.

"We have decided to bring it forward by 30 minutes from the regular time of the IPL which is 8 p.m. for evening games and we will start at 7:30 instead."

Although the IPL is expected to happen behind closed doors, there have been rumours that a percentage of the stadium could be occupied by socially distanced fans. Speaking of the same, the official said that safety is obviously the No. 1 priority.

"It would be great to have some fans come in as that would boost the morale of the players for sure. But what needs to be remembered is that the safety of the players is priority. So, these are things we will discuss with the ECB at the right time," the official revealed.

The 2020 edition of the IPL will see as many as ten double headers played. It remains to be seen if fans will be allowed to attend, but the tournament is still expected to see viewership figures skyrocket.