The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in its Governing Council meeting of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has decided to hold the 13th edition of the cash-rich tournament from September 19 to November 10.
The tournament will see matches starting from 7:30 PM IST and will also witness 10 doubleheaders.
Speaking to IANS, a BCCI official stated that it was decided to take the IPL into another week and that will see the final being played on November 10.
The official also added that to ensure there is enough spacing between games considering the strict protocol, 10 doubleheaders have been planned.
“We have decided to go up till November 10 and so the final will be held on a weekday for the first time. Also, to ensure that there are enough gaps between games considering the travelling and the biosecure environment and keeping all these things in mind, we will have 10 doubleheaders this season,” the official revealed.
When asked about the starting time, the official said it will be 7:30 PM IST for the evening games. “We have decided to bring it forward by 30 minutes from the regular time of the IPL which is 8 p.m. for evening games and we will start at 7:30 instead.”
If the topic of fans entering the stadium was discussed in the meeting, the official said that these things can be taken care of in consultation with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB).
“It would be great to have some fans come in as that would boost the morale of the players for sure. But what needs to be remembered is that the safety of the players is a
priority. So, these are things we will discuss with the ECB at the right time,” the official said.
According to an official of one of the franchises told IANS that: “We have been asked to start our visa process”.
