Srinagar, Aug 10: As it was also certain, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was still waiting for the formal approval for omg Government of India to hold cash rich T20 league, India Premier League (IPL) 2020 in UAE due to COVID-19.
Last week BCCI had claimed that it got in principle approval from Goverment and is kow waiting for formal order. On Monday, BCCI claimed that it has got the formal approval and the league is now all set to be held in UAE.
IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel on Monday told news agency PTI that it has got the approval.
The IPL 2020 is scheduled to be played entirely in UAE from September 10 to November 19, with Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah hosting the 60 matches.
“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).
“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 senior BCCI official was quoted by PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Most of the franchises will now be flying out their players and support staff to UAE after August 20, with two mandatory COVID-19 tests conducted on each member of the touring party from their base within 24 hours.