IPL 2020: BCCI sends acceptance letter to Emirates Cricket Board to host tournament in UAE

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has sent the acceptance letter to the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) on hosting the Indian Premier League (|PL), league's Governing Council Chairman Brijesh Patel confirmed on Sunday.

'Working together from now on...'

"Yes, we have sent the acceptance letter to the ECB and both the boards will be working together from now on to stage the tournament," Khaleej Times quoted Patel as saying. According to the newspaper, ECB had sent the proposal to the BCCI in April to host the 13th edition of the IPL, which was originally scheduled to commence on March 29 in India. However, the tournament was postponed indefinitely due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.

Patel said that the eight IPL franchises -- Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab and the Royal Challengers Bangalore -- will hold their respective pre-tournament training camps in the UAE. He said that the training camps will be held in the UAE in a bio-secure environment and "the teams need at least three to four weeks to prepare for the tournament".

The IPL Governing Council will now meet this week and will decide on the schedule and Standard Operating Procedures for the League. While ECB's Mubashir Usmani said that a formal announcement from the board will be made on Monday. "We are going to send a press release on the issue tomorrow (Monday). But at this point in time, I cannot reveal more than that," Usmani told Khaleej Times on Sunday.

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IPL to begin on September 19

The 13th edition of the IPL which was indefinitely postponed had to be moved out of India owing to the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the country. The tournament will begin on September 19 and the final will be held on November 8. It has been reported that the New Zealand cricket board has already decided to issue NOCs to its players to participate in the IPL. The window for IPL was made possible after the ICC postponed the upcoming T20 World Cup.

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(With ANI inputs)