IPL 2021 Phase 2: After confirming that the IPL 2021 will resume in the UAE in the September-October window before the ICC T20 World Cup, BCCI top brass will join Vice-President Rajeev Shukla in the UAE to discuss IPL resumption with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB). Shukla said the other office bearers — BCCI President Sourav Ganguly, Secretary Jay Shah and IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel — will arrive on Wednesday to hold further talks.
“I am already here. Now a team of BCCI office-bearers, president Sourav Ganguly, secretary Jay Shah and the IPL chairman Brijesh Patel will be coming here in a couple of days,” Shukla told Khaleej Times.
The main point of discussion will be the dates and availability of the venues while also ironing out the logistics and other nitty-gritty of the tournament in UAE. While the tentative start date of the tournament is immediately after India’s Test series against England, Rajeev Shukla said that the BCCI is looking to resume the IPL 2021 Phase 2 on September 18, four days after the 5th Test in Manchester. But that will be finalised only after holding talks with the ECB as it is also hosting many other bilateral series.
“We will be having discussions with the cricket board here and the other authorities. And accordingly, the schedule will be made, so the tournament happens in a very smooth manner as it happened here last year,” Rajeev Shukla said.
IPL 2021 Phase 2: Decision on spectators in due time
The other point of discussion will be spectators. The COVID-19 pandemic situation is under control in the UAE and considering that almost 70% of its residents have been vaccinated, as per reports. Furthermore, as UAE is not allowing any foreign traveller without vaccination, the ECB could open doors for spectators for IPL 2021. Shukla said it would be totally up to the ECB to take the call after discussion with the UAE government.
“The only issue is about the spectators, whether they will allow the spectators or not. So, we will talk to them about that. We will go by whatever UAE authorities decide. If they say it’s with spectators, and a certain percentage of spectators, we are fine. Or if they say without spectators, that is also fine with us. There is no problem,” Rajeev Shukla said.
As for Team India players, the UK bound team has received one dose of vaccine and another dose will be administered in the UK. As for other players and support staff besides other personnel and franchise members, Rajeev Shukla said they would be vaccinated before leaving for UAE for the IPL 2021 Phase 2. That means, BCCI will need to vaccinate at least 700-800 people for the tournament and it would need to start now as the second dose takes around 2-3 months as per ICMR guidelines.
“Whatever, Covid protocols on vaccination are required, we will be following those protocols, the Indian protocols as well as the UAE protocols,” Shukla said.