BCCI recieves Indian govt's formal approval to hold IPL in UAE, Brijesh Patel confirms

BCCI has received central government's formal approval to conduct this year's Indian Premier League in UAE, IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel revealed on Monday.  IPL will be held in UAE from September 19 to vember 10 in three cities -- Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. government had last week given an "in principle" go-ahead to BCCI to shift marquee league to UAE due to rising cases of COVID-19 in country.

"Yes, we have received all written approvals," Patel told PTI when asked wher permission has come in writing from both Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

When an Indian sports body shifts a domestic tournament abroad, it requires clearance from Home, External and sports ministries respectively. "Once we had verbal okay from government, we had intimated Emirates Cricket Board. w we have papers also, so franchisees can be intimated that everything is in order," a veteran BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anymity.

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Most of franchises will be flying out after August 20 after two mandatory RT-PCR (COVID-19 tests) conducted within 24 hours from ir departure base. Chennai Super Kings players and staff, who are leaving on August 22, will have a small camp at Chepauk on insistence of skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

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BCCI is also facing problems on sponsorship front after calling off title deal with Chinese mobile phone company Vivo for current year due to massive public outr over Si-India border stand-off. It was a Rs 440 crore deal and as BCCI looks at potential sponsors, Baba Ramdev's Patanjali has shown interest in becoming new title sponsor. 

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