The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, which was halted earlier this month after Covid-19 breached its bio-bubble, is expected to resume from September 19 in the United Arab Emirates. Details inside.India Today Web Desk New DelhiMay 25, 2021UPDATED: May 25, 2021 21:01 IST

IPL 2021 was postponed on May 4 after 6 players, 2 support staff members and a bus cleaner tested Covid positive (Courtesy of BCCI)

HIGHLIGHTS

• India and England players are expected to travel to Dubai on September 15
• BCCI is expected to host the remaining 31 matches of IPL 2021 in UAE from September 19 or 20
• There are likely to be 10 double-headers, 4 playoff days to complete IPL 2021

The halted Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 is likely to resume once again in the United Arab Emirates in September and the final will be played in October, after it was suspended indefinitely by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) due to the Covid-19 crisis.

IPL 2021 is expected to resume either on September 19 or 20 while the final is likely to play played on October 10.

Players from India and England, who will finish their Test series on September 14, will travel to Dubai on September 15th and are expected to remain in quarantine for 3 days before the tournament begins again.

Negotiations are still going on between the cricket boards of India and England to work out the details and logistics but there has been no official request or letter from the BCCI to the ECB to change the itinerary for the 5-Test series in August.

“IPL expected to resume around September 19 or 20 in the UAE, final on October 10.

“Indian cricket board will not request or ask the ECB to change the itinerary. Players are expected to travel from England to Dubai on Sept. 15, it will be a bubble to bubble transfer and will be in quarantine for 3 days,” India Today’s Boria Majumdar said on Sports Today.

Boria went on to add that the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2021, which is scheduled to be played between August 28 and September 19 might see a minor change in its dates so that the overseas players in the tournament can join the IPL bio-bubble on time in Dubai.

“The CPL 2021, which is supposed to be held from August 28 to September 19 will be readjusted. There will be negotiations between the 2 boards – BCCI and Windies cricket – and the franchises will also play a role. Trinbago Knight Riders will play a major role in these negotiations to get things in order. The CPL will therefore, will end around September 14 or 15, it will be played entirely in St. Kitts.

“The players will feature in The Hundred (July 24 to August 21) and then fly to St. Kitts, get into a 4-5 day quarantine and might also demand mandatory vaccination. So everyone will be assembling in Dubai around September 15, with a possible 3-day quarantine on 16, 17 and 18,” Boria said.

IPL 2021 ROADMAP

“We are talking about a 21-day window for IPL 2021, still 31 matches have to be played. There will be 4 playoff days with 27 league games before that. There will be 9 or 10 double-headers, which means 20 games taken care off. And 7 single day games.

“So you start on the 19 or 20th of September, and you finish on October 10. That is the window that the BCCI is currently looking at. So again I repeat – possibly 10 double-headers, possible 7 single-headers and 4 playoff days to complete the IPL. That is what is transpiring at this point in time, I have corroborated this with BCCI officials, franchise owners, CEOs, and all sources have confirmed this,” Boria said.

IPL 2021 was postponed on May 4 after 6 players, 2 support staff members and a bus cleaner tested positive for coronavirus. Only 29 matches were played in the 60-game league till May 2.

Notably, the entire tournament was played in the UAE last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic crisis in India.