Picture used for illustrative purpose only.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter
 
The coronavirus –marred suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) will resume in Dubai from Sept. 19, it was announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday.

IPL was suspended mid-way after India witnessed an unprecedented spike in the coronavirus cases in May.

IPL was shifted to the UAE to complete the remaining matches.

A mouth-watering clash between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians will get the ball rolling on Sept.19 to kick-start the remaining tourney.

A total of 31 matches will be played over a span of 27 days across three venues – Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. The tournament will culminate on Oct.15.

Three days after the completion of the world richest cricket league, the T20 World Cup will get under way in the UAE. Sharjah will host their first match on Sept.24 with Bangalore taking on Chennai.

The UAE have a proven record successfully staging the world class sporting event since the outbreak of coronavirus brought the world to its knees.

A resolute UAE defied the odds and showed the world ahead by hosting the MMA fight, which was otherwise scheduled to be held in the US.

The successful staging of MMA fight at the Yas Island, featuring stars like Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, opened the floodgates as the UAE became the most sought after destination to stage the sporting events.

The 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), AFC Champions League matches, FIFA World Cup qualifier, Asian Boxing Championships and the remaining matches of the suspended Pakistan Super League (PSL) were held in the UAE.

Meanwhile, the Indian cricket board’s plan to accommodate two more franchises in the IPL from 2022 season is likely to leave cricket boards around the world worried as an increase in the number of teams will mean the tournament will be extended by 10-15 days to accommodate more matches.