IPL 2020: UAE Board mulls over letting spectators attend IPL matches

A top Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) official has revealed that the Indian Premier League (IPL) may concede to spectators attending the matches if the talks go as planned with the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI).

In lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic, the BCCI had decided to host all the IPL matches behind closed doors. However, given that the lockdown norms have been eased in the UAE, a small audience may be allowed to attend the matches after all. This development was confirmed to Mumbai Mirror by IPL chairman Brijesh Patel.

The official added that the sheer magnitude of cricket fans in the UAE along with the Indian diaspora has prompted the ECB to consider the probability of allowing spectators. He went on to say that they will need the permissions of the BCCI along with the Government of India before proceeding further.

“We’re quite open to having the crowds for the games. That would be fair too, given that there are a lot of Indians and cricket fans in the UAE. We will work things out with our government but before that the BCCI will have to have the approval of the Government of India. Once that is done, we will start working towards the league. We will make a grand spectacle of the IPL,” a high ranking Emirates official told Mumbai Mirror.

Chennai Super Kings look to leave for UAE early to prepare for the IPL

In another development, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team is looking to fly out to the UAE early for training, subject to them acquiring the SOPs.

“We intend to go early to the UAE but we need clearances from the BCCI and visas for all the members. We can’t say whether it will be August 10 or 12 but the idea is to reach there early,” Kasi Viswanathan, the CEO of the franchise, said.

Meanwhile, the IPL is all set to be hosted in the UAE with the tournament expected to begin at the end of September. Earlier, the IPL had been postponed indefinitely due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. However, it seems that the 13th edition of the IPL might finally come to fruition.