Sourav Ganguly amongst top BCCI officials to miss start of IPL 2020 in UAE?

The Indian Premier League 2020 (IPL 2020) season is all set to commence on September 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The squads of all eight franchises have already camped in the desert country and are currently adhering to the social distancing and biosecurity norms as imposed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). However, it can be noted that several BCCI officials including President Sourav Ganguly are likely to not attend at least the opening week of the IPL 2020, due to a tight bio-bubble in place for the tournament in the UAE.

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IPL 2020: Sourav Ganguly and other BCCI officials might miss start of the tournament

According to PTI, BCCI secretary Jay Shah has informed several officials and state member associations via mail that they won’t be able to attend the beginning of the IPL 2020 season. While he cited the presence of strict biosecurity measures in place in the UAE as the reason behind their possible absence, he also claimed that some of the travelling restrictions might be relaxed during the latter half of the tournament.

As per the aforementioned news agency, the BCCI secretary wrote in his email that the board would be able to deliver a “memorable tournament” in the UAE. He later wrote that he will be approaching the start of the tournament with a heavy heart as the absence of several office bearers, Presidents and Secretaries of all state units that are being invited by the BCCI, would render the opening incomplete. While the mail notification was primarily directed at BCCI’s state units, President Sourav Ganguly might also skip the earliest flight possible if he and other BCCI officials opt to take a safety route for themselves.

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IPL 2020: IPL schedule and other updates

With a launch date of September 19, the IPL 2020 season will run until November 10 across three UAE venues. Earlier this month, the BCCI came up with a launch date and a venue for the tournament. The Indian board also decided to part ways with China-based VIVO as IPL sponsors for the 2020 season due to the rising political tensions between India and China.

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Image credits: AP