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The Board of Control for Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has zeroed in on a date for the resumption of the Indian Premier League 2021 to be held in UAE. The tournament resumes on September 19 while the final will be played on October 15.
Speaking to ANI, a BCCI official said the discussions between the BCCI and the Emirates Cricket Board went well and that the Indian board is confident that the remainder of the IPL will be held successfully in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.
"The discussions went really well and with ECB already giving us the oral nod to host the event ahead of the BCCI SGM, it was about closing the deal over the last week. The first game after the season resumes will be held on September 19 while we will have the final on October 15. The BCCI was always keen on a 25-day window to finish the remaining matches," the official said.
Asked about the situation regarding availability of the foreign players, the official said talks are on.
"The discussions have started, and we are keeping fingers crossed that the foreign players will be mostly available. If a couple of them do not manage to turn up, we shall then decide on the future course of action. But keeping fingers crossed for now and hoping to have an action-packed end to the 14th edition in the UAE," the official said.
In fact, franchises are also confident that the BCCI will engage in positive discussions with the foreign boards and make players available for the remaining games.
"What we were made aware after the BCCI SGM is that the Board will be speaking to the foreign boards and check on the availability of the foreign cricketers. We are confident that the BCCI will find the best possible solution and honestly it is a matter of the BCCI officials speaking to the respective board officials, so we should wait to hear from the Board on this.
"Yes, if we do end up missing some of the foreign stars, that is an area which would need some attention when it comes to picking replacements as the foreign players are also integral to the teams. Team balance can go for a toss, so keeping fingers crossed on that one," the franchise official said.