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The Royal Challengers Bangalore are expected to lock horns with the Mumbai Indians in the first match of the thirteenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), after the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to revamp the schedule in light of the COVID-19 scare in the Chennai Super Kings squad.
As reported by The Times of India, the BCCI may mull over pitting RCB against MI in the curtain-raiser of IPL 13, and they will hope to grab eyeballs by facing off Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli against each other.
"It could possibly be Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) because in the first match, you'll need star players on the field. If MS Dhoni is missing, then it has to be Virat Kohli," those tracking developments told TOI.
The BCCI had confirmed that thirteen members from the CSK camp have tested positive for the deadly virus, which includes two players and eleven support staff members. One of those players is confirmed to be Indian speedster Deepak Chahar, while the other is rumoured to be domestic player, Ruturaj Gaikwad.
To add to their woes, Suresh Raina, the vice-captain of the CSK team, has withdrawn from the tournament and returned to India citing 'personal reasons'. These developments have forced the BCCI to overhaul the IPL schedule, nudging CSK out of the inaugural match of the tournament, thereby allowing them more time to recover.
IPL schedule to be released soon:
With the IPL inching closer, the BCCI is reviewing the IPL schedule to accommodate unforeseen problems, and will announce a final revised match itinerary, which was initially due last week.
There are rumours of the IPL being divided into three phases to minimise the travelling involved. The 56 league stage matches are expected to be divided as follows.
1st Leg: Abu Dhabi - 21 matches
2nd Leg: Dubai - 21 matches
3rd Leg: Sharjah - 14 matches
The teams may return to Dubai for the play-offs of the IPL. However, there has been no clarity regarding the same, so far.
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