IPL 2020 set to be held from September 19 to November 8 in UAE

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to commence on September 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the final of the tournament slated to happen on November 8. The BCCI has officially informed the franchises of this development.

The IPL Governing Council will have a meeting next week to finalise all logistics relating to the tournament. Earlier, ICC decided to postpone the T20 World Cup in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has made it possible for the IPL to be conducted in the October-November window.

Speaking to The Press Trust of India (PTI), an unnamed BCCI official revealed the tentative dates for the IPL and also pointed out that a 51-day window will be more beneficial for the broadcasters, stakeholders as well as the franchises.

"IPL in all likelihood will start on September 19 (Saturday) and the final will be held on November 8 (Sunday). It is a 51-day window which will suit the franchises as well as the broadcasters and other stakeholders," a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

IPL was initially scheduled to begin on September 26

The IPL was initially speculated to begin on September 26 but to prevent it from interfering with India's tour of Australia, the BCCI has decided to advance the date of commencement by a week.

Previously, it was reported that the BCCI had requested Cricket Australia (CA) to reduce the quarantine period to seven days for the Indian team. However, CA refused to comply with the BCCI's plea and asserted that a fourteen-day isolation period is mandatory as per the Australian Government's rules.

"The Indian team will have a mandatory quarantine of 14 days as per Australian government rules. A delay would have sent the plans haywire," the official said.

The official also enumerated the advantages of having a 51-day window, which will allow the BCCI to stick to their original model of five doubleheaders in the seven-week period.

"The best part is that 51 days is not at all a curtailed period and there will be much less double-headers. We could stick to the original five double-headers in a seven-week window," the official said.

The franchises are expected to depart for the UAE on August 20, which will give them precisely a month to comply with the quarantine procedures and ready all players for the grand extravaganza.