IPL announces start date, venues for 2020 season in UAE

September 19 will see the start of the 2020 Indian Premier League, while the final is set to be on November 10.

 
 

The delayed 2020 Indian Premier League season will begin on September 19, pending government clearance, with games to be staged in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.

This year's edition of the Twenty20 tournament was originally due to start in March, only to be postponed indefinitely amid the coronavirus pandemic.

With COVID-19 cases continuing to rise in the country, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had already revealed plans to stage the entire competition in the United Arab Emirates later in the year.

Following a video conference between members of the IPL's governing council on Sunday, a statement signed by BCCI secretary Jay Shah announced further details regarding the 53-day event, including venues, updated regulations and key dates.

The final is due to be played on November 10 and there will be 10 double-headers during the round-robin stage, though a full fixture list is yet to be released.

The UAE has staged the IPL previously, co-hosting the 2014 season due to a clash with India's general election.

"The governing council also discussed the comprehensive standard operating procedures (SOPs), which will be finalised and published in due course, including the agencies to execute and deliver a bio-secure environment for safe and successful conduct of IPL 2020 Season," the statement read.

"The governing council also reviewed the player regulations for replacement players for 2020 season."

The IPL governing council plans to hold a meeting with all franchises in the near future, while the proposals must be ratified by the Indian government.

the Women's T20 Challenge will also take place in the UAE, with three teams playing four matches during the same week as the IPL play-offs.