IPL 2020: BCCI gets thumbs up from Govt to host tournament in UAE

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Image Courtesy: Reuters/TOI

The BCCI has received the formal approval from the central government to host the 13th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) in the UAE, IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel has revealed the news on Monday.

Image Courtesy: Reuters/TOI

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The IPL will be played in the UAE from September 19 to November 10 in three cities – Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. However, the government had given an “in principle” go-ahead last week to the BCCI to shift the cash-rich league to the UAE owing to rising cases of COVID-19 in the country now.

“Yes, we have received all the written approvals,” Patel told PTI when he was asked whether the permission has come in writing from both the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Notably, if an Indian sports body shifts a domestic tournament outside India, they require the clearance from Home, External and sports ministries respectively to host the tournament there.

“Once we had the verbal okay from the government, we had intimated the Emirates Cricket Board. Now we have the papers also, so franchises can be intimated that everything is in order,” a veteran BCCI official said to PTI on conditions of anonymity.

On the other hand, most of the franchises will be travelling to the UAE after August 20 after their two mandatory RT-PCR (COVID-19 tests) conducted within 24 hours from their departure base.

However, the Chennai Super Kings players and staff, who are leaving for UAE on August 22, will have a small camp at the Chepauk on the insistence of their captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni who is all set to resume his action after more than a year.

Meanwhile, the BCCI is also facing problems on the title sponsorship after they have decided to part ways from their title deal with Chinese mobile phone company Vivo for the current year due to massive outrage from people over the Sino-India border stand-off. The Vivo used to provide with a Rs 440 crore deal annually to the board.

According to the recent report, Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved is expected to bid for the title sponsorship for the upcoming IPL. However, the move would help the Haridwar-based firm to access a global marketing platform, as they are eyeing to exports their Ayurveda-based FMCG products outside as well.

While confirming the development, Patanjali spokesperson S K Tijarawala told PTI: “We are considering this. This is for Vocal For Local and making one Indian brand as global, this is the right platform. We are considering into that perspective. We have to take a final decision, whether we would take it or not.”

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