The coronavirus pandemic has stalled all cricket and sporting action throughout the globe. Cricket is slowly resuming with England playing Test matches against West Indies and Pakistan while the Caribbean Premier League is the first major T20 league to take place. However, all eyes will be on the Indian Premier League (IPL) that will take place in the UAE due to the rising coronavirus cases in India. After the tournament was postponed in April, the BCCI has pounced upon the opportunity to hold the tournament in the UAE in September. The tournament will be played from September to November first week.

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Ravi Shastri, the current coach of the Indian cricket team, remarked that the resumption of the IPL is the ‘ideal chaos’ in times of the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking in a webinar, Shastri said, “You know with this COVID thing happening, once this IPL starts in the UAE, you will see that chaos back again, which is much needed. t’s been depressing, it been unforeseen, the world hasn’t seen anything like this since the second World war, to just get some sport action, back on television, day in and day out will lift the spirits of a lot of people and it is much needed at this moment of time.”

Second coming to the UAE

The United Arab Emirates will play host to the Indian Premier League for the second time, having hosted half of the 2014 IPL season in the country due to the General Elections in India. Shastri remarked that the UAE was more than capable of pulling off the tournament brilliantly.

“It is a great gesture by Indian government to take cricket to the UAE and the UAE government in responding (to it). I remember, in 2014, when the IPL came there (to the UAE), his Excellency did not leave one stone unturned and ensured that it was a top-class IPL and the public responded brilliantly. I am so happy that it’s gone to the UAE, because they put up such a good show last time around,” he pointed out. “They know now what to expect when we come with the IPL and the eight teams and I think it’s (IPL) going to be a runaway success – Covid or no Covid,” Shastri said.