United Arab Emirates set to host this year's Twenty20 World Cup as India pull out over Covid fears with death toll nearing 400,000 and 46,000 new infections reported in last 24 hours
- India had hoped to host the tournament, set for October-November later in 2021
- But the scale and gravity of the coronavirus situation in India has changed that
- The UAE is also hosting the rest of the Indian Premier League for the same reason
The Twenty20 World Cup this year will be shifted to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to the coronavirus situation in India, according to an Indian cricket board official.
UAE has been the back-up venue for the 16-team event which is scheduled to be played across October and November 2021.
'We will inform the (governing body) International Cricket Council soon,' Indian cricket board treasurer Arun Singh Dhumal said.
The United Arab Emirates is set to host this year's T20 World Cup instead of original hosts India
India, led by their captain Virat Kohli (right), would have hoped to play in front of a home crowd
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On Monday India reported 46,148 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, data from the health ministry showed.
Figures also stated that India's total COVID-19 case load now stands at 30.27 million, while total fatalities are at 396,730.
The Indian cricket board was also forced to suspend the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) competition in early May as cases surged in the country and several players tested positive.
The remaining matches of the world's richest T20 league were moved to the UAE, where it was also held last year, and the 31 matches left are reportedly set to be completed in the third week of September.
Covid-19 situation means like the Indian Premier League, the World Cup will move to the UAE
The IPL is reportedly set to resume in the United Arab Emirates in the third week of September
It is understood 10 double-header matches will be crammed into a three-week window ending in early October to avoid clashing with the World Cup and India's tour of England.
The final Test is currently set to finish four days before the apparent restart.
It had been suggested India's governing body BCCI had informally approached the England and Wales Cricket Board to ask about moving the Test series.
But if the new dates are formally confirmed, players could fly directly from the UK to a new bubble in the UAE.
The West Indies (pictured) won the last tournament back in 2016, beating England in the final
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