IPL 2020: BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly arrives in UAE, accompanied by IPL Chairman & others

With just 4 days remaining for the IPL 2020 to commence in the UAE, BCCI boss Sourav Ganguly has arrived in Sharjah on Tuesday. The BCCI chief and former India skipper was accompanied by IPL Chairman Brajesh Patel and ex-IPL chief Rajeev Shukla as he set his foot on one of the three stadiums which will be hosting the tournament in the Middle East. Sharjah Cricket Stadium CEO Khalaf Bukhatir and Vice-Chairman Waleed Bukhatir were also present to welcome the team of BCCI officials at the stadium. 

IPL 2020 in UAE

The cash-rich tournament, which was earlier postponed, has been moved to the UAE due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation in India. The tournament is all set to start on September 19 while the final will be played on November 10. The BCCI has already issued an SOP for the tournament and has also allowed COVID-19 replacement during the tournament. Recently, Dream11 acquired the title sponsorship rights for IPL 2020 for a whopping amount of Rs 220 crore after Vivo's exit. This year's edition will also feature COVID replacements that have been allowed by the governing body in view of the pandemic. The schedule of the tournament will be released on September 6. 

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IPL 2020 schedule announced 

Defending champions Mumbai Indians will face MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings in the opening clash of the tournament on September 19 in Abu Dhabi. RCB will be facing Sunrisers Hyderabad in their first match of the tournament on September 21. Compared to the regular 8 pm IST start, the games will start half an hour earlier in the upcoming edition. The afternoon matches are set to begin at 3:30 PM IST while the evening games will commence at 7:30 PM IST. In all, 24 matches will be held in Dubai, 20 in Abu Dhabi and 12 in Sharjah, while the venues for playoffs will be announced later. Here's the full schedule 

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Image Credits: Sourav Ganguly Instagram & Sharjah Cricket Stadium Twitter