The Indian Premier League, the world’s most watched cricket event, will be held in the UAE for the third time later this year after the 2021 edition was suspended due to the impact of coronavirus.
The IPL will be played in September and October in the UAE, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Saturday.
The IPL, which has an estimated brand value of $6.7 billion, is watched by millions of fans in India, the sub-continent, the Gulf region and globally.
The league was suspended in early May in India after many players tested positive for Covid-19 in India’s second wave of the pandemic.
Although daily coronavirus infections have started to decrease in India, Jay Shah, BCCI’s honorary secretary, said the board resolved to “complete the remaining matches of IPL’s 2021 season in the UAE also considering that the monsoon season in India is in the months of September-October this year”.
The decision was taken at a special meeting of the hoard, held virtually, at which members unanimously agreed to move the IPL to the UAE and resume it in mid-September.
The season will last until the second week of October and there will be 31 games during the season.
The Covid-19 pandemic last year and a complete lockdown imposed by the Indian government during the traditional IPL season caused the league to move to the UAE for the second time.
It was held in the UAE for the first time in 2014 on account of India’s parliamentary elections during the IPL season.
Last year, Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Sports Council, said the UAE’s ability to host the IPL was proof of the country’s status as a global sporting hub.
Launched in 2008, the franchise-based IPL has grown quickly and in 2014 was ranked sixth among all sports league in the world in terms of average attendance.
The brand value of the 2019 Indian Premier League was estimated to be $6.7 billion, according to New York-based financial consultancy firm Duff & Phelps, and it had viewership in excess of 462 million.
The 13th edition of the league saw a total of 60 matches being played in the UAE, with the final taking place at Dubai International Stadium in Dubai Sports City.
Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium and the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium were the other hosts for the tournament.
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