The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has joined the cricket franchises in making logistical plans for the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League scheduled to hold in the UAE.

UAE was chosen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that has hit India. The government is not ready to take any risk at the moment, knowing that cricket is the country’s number one sport.

Although no official announcement has been made about the logistic plan, the BCCI will also wait to know the outcome of the meeting of Indian Premier League’s Governing Council.

The 13th edition of India’s premier event was postponed twice due to COVID-19. Since the T-20 World Cup scheduled for Australia has now been canceled, it is expected to slot into the calendar.

A highly placed BCCI official told IANS that the board is already in touch with Emirates and Etihad to check their flying scheduling from August onwards. The competition is scheduled to begin in August.

He further revealed that each team has also done the same to know the airline companies’ plans on the resumption of flight operations in Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata, among others.

He also said that the board’s logistics and operations teams also need to go to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah to ensure that preparations are in full swing as there is no chance for excuses.

He further stated that the IPL is known for its excellence in operations, and the board won’t want this year’s edition to be different.

He also said that they might go for a chartered flight for the franchises if the UAE airlines don’t start operations on time.

On hotel accommodations in the three cities, the BCCI functionary also confirmed that work is ongoing as it is handled by both the franchises and the BCCI. He added that they would come together to have a solid agreement.

The competition is expected to be played from September 26 to November 8. A final decision will be taken once the Indian government has given the green light.

Written by: Oladipupo Mojeed