IPL set for UAE move

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has reportedly reached a deal to finish its suspended 2021 season later this year in the United Arab Emirates.

According to a report from Times of India, the star-studded cricket tournament will restart for a month from September 15, with 31 matches still to play. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to confirm the news at a special general meeting later this week.

The season was suspended earlier this month as India continues to battle a wave of Covid-19 infections, including multiple within the participating teams of players and support staff. The BCCI president, Sourav Ganguly, subsequently confirmed that the season would be concluded, but not in India.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) reportedly held talks with the IPL and BCCI over relocating the tournament to England, but the League is said to have decided to return to the UAE – where it hosted 2020’s iteration of the IPL.

The BCCI however is still in talks with the ECB over shortening the gap between the second and third Tests of India’s five-match series against England later this year. The tour alternatively could be reduced to four tests.