The IPL franchises have informed about their plans for the remainder of the 14th edition which is slated to be played in UAE from September-October. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had to postpone the tournament in May after COVID breached through the bio-bubbles infecting a few players and support staff.
BCCI is yet to release the full schedule for the second leg but is believed that the tournament will be held between September 19 and October 15. Reports in the Cricbuzz states that Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals have informed BCCI about their intentions of reaching Dubai by 20th August to start their camp after serving the mandatory self-isolation as per the local governments and BCCI advisories. Owing to the monsoon season in India, the franchises have decided not to conduct a pre-season camp in India.
"We want to be there by August 15, latest by 20th and we have informed the BCCI that we want to be there by then. We are hoping to get the required permissions, without which the logistical plans will be difficult to execute," CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan was quoted as saying by the Cricbuzz. Meanwhile, an official from the Delhi Capitals also informed about their intentions of reaching Dubai by the same time.
When the season was halted indefinitely in May, Delhi Capitals was occupying the top spit with 12 points in 8 games. Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore are at 2nd and 3rd in the points table followed by the five-time champions Mumbai Indians.
The initial plan of BCCI was to finalise the IPL dates by 15th July. However, the schedule hasn’t been made public yet. With some of the top BCCI officials in UAE and Oman at the moment, the dates can only be expected after their return in a few days.