After Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the Emirates Cricket Board has offered to host the suspended edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the United Arab Emirates. The UAE is no stranger to hosting the IPL, having arranged 20 matches in 2014 to avoid date clashes with the general elections in India. However, it’s not a proposal the Indian board (BCCI) is expected to jump upon at this stage. “The UAE has offered to host the IPL if we want them to. But right now when there is no international travel, there is no question of taking a call on that,” said BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal.
The BCCI hasn’t given up hope of rescheduling the IPL and keeping it in India should the coronavirus be contained. BCCI officials say they have been looking at identifying bio-secure stadiums at home, but India currently has far too many virus affected red zones. In a scenario where the government is unable to lift the curbs on sporting events, would the BCCI be open to move the IPL to a foreign land, like they had done in 2009 (South Africa) and in 2014? Dhumal was non-committal. “The health and security of players and all participants is our priority. At the moment, the entire world travel has come to a standstill, so there is nothing we can decide at this stage,” he said.