IPL 2020: Sourav Ganguly lands in UAE to take stock of preparations

sourav Ganguly will be in quarantine for the next six days and is expected to be in the UAE till September 23.

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly landed here on Wednesday to oversee preparations for a bio-secure IPL beginning on September 19. Defending champions Mumbai Indians will face Chennai Super Kings in the opening match of the T20 event, which has been moved to the UAE due to the rising COVID-19 cases in India. "My first flight in 6 months to dubai for IPL...crazy life changes," Ganguly posted on his Instagram handle ahead of his departure with a picture in which he is wearing a mask and face shield, part of the Standard Operating Procedure while flying amid the pandemic.

He will be in quarantine for the next six days and is expected to be in the UAE till September 23. The BCCI was able to create a window for the IPL following the postponement of the T20 World Cup in Australia, scheduled for October-November. The Board would have faced a revenue loss of Rs 4000 crore if the tournament, which usually takes place in April-May, had not got the go ahead.

IPL chairman Brijesh Patel is among the other key officials who are already in Dubai. The tournament, despite its strict health safety measures, has already endured instances of contingent members testing positive for the dreaded virus. Chennai Super Kings has been the worst affected with 13 of its members, including two players, in quarantine after testing positive.

Fans will not be allowed inside stadiums when the league starts but some crowd might be approved in the later stages of the tournament after a review of the COVID-19 situation.

The event will be played at three venues -- Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.

Keep scrolling to read more news

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!