Get ready for the nail-biting back to back cricket matches as IPL is soon to resume. This is excellent news for all the cricket lovers who were heartbroken with the postponed Asia Cup and T20 world cup. Now, the time is back when we can enjoy the series of good cricket on our TV screens. So let’s dig in and know everything about the IPL in UAE 2020.
What is IPL?
Indian Premium League is a cricket league held in India. It follows the T20 cricket format, which is short yet exciting. IPL has become so popular that in 2014, it was 6th most attended event among all the sports leagues. You can be a fan of IPL or its criticizer, but you cannot ignore it. Its presence in India is massive. The teams’ supporters are full of zeal and energy, which rushes over social media, twitter, and newspapers. Presently there are eight teams, namely, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Banglore, and Sunrise Hyderabad. It was planned to take place in March, but due to the lockdown, and it was postponed for a while. It was recently announced that IPL 2020 would take place in UAE from 19th September to 10th November. Are you curious to know why and what the difference will be? Then keep on reading.
Why did we choose the UAE?
The chosen location for the next IPL matches is three cities of UAE: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. When the globe is going through a pandemic, a west Asian country, UAE has managed to control the multiplication of people infected by Coronavirus; presently, it has only 6000 COVID positive cases. So, UAE is one of the safest countries in the world right now. In 2004, after the Mumbai bomb blast, half of IPL matches were conducted in UAE. The hosting preparation was done well, and that grew our confidence. One of the best things is that the venues are very close to each other. Therefore, there would be less traveling for the players. The short game format of the T20 is ideal for conducting and declaring the winner in comparatively lesser time. All these points made UAE favorable for hosting IPL 2020.
Who can be the spectator?
If you have seen the images of Rugby match in New Zealand with a stadium full of people, that is not going to happen in this case as UAE has fewer cases for sure but not COVID-free. Emirates Cricket Board has yet not declared about the presence of spectators. Instead, it is speculated that the stadium would be left empty, or only 20-30% of the audience would be allowed to enter. This would be disheartening, especially for the Indian diaspora in UAE, as after this global crisis, everyone wants to go back to a healthy lifestyle. If you are also not happy about not being able to play cricket, we have good news. Now, you can play cricket with your friends virtually. Visit Dream 11 and add real members to play the game of your favorite sport, cricket. You can use the Dream11 Promo Code to get a massive discount. If you haven’t tried virtual cricket, this is the time to play real-time cricket.
What are the changes in the team playing?
There are many changes in the talk and walk of the team when the field play would resume. Before reaching Dubai, the players are called together in India; later, they are to spend a few weeks in a secure and sterile environment. Further, they will be tested for Coronavirus. If everything is fine and the results are negative, they can head towards Dubai. As international flights are still not operative, all the players will take charter planes to reach the destination. There will be additional players than usual for the case of emergency replacement. More minute things are still under planning. The hotels for their accommodation are yet to be decided.Once they reach the UAE, they will be isolated according to the country’s law.
Measures for safety
Throughout the tournament, the players have to follow the long list of protocols and guidance. The duration of travel, staying, dressing room, and on-field, every activity of players would be underscan. They have to be extra conscious of hygiene. That would mean that the use of masks will be compulsory, no equipment would be shared, and eating would be separated. All the players, coaches, and assistants would have to maintain a social distancing of at least 2 meters.
Conclusion
As cricket fans, we have been waiting for the day when we could enjoy the enthralling and nail-biting experience. However, we can have little light of hope that at least we can enjoy the matches. So even amid the global crisis, we have something to wait for and engage. So when the players reach the UAE and see them on the field playing, we can finally shout for our favorite team. We wish all the sides to give their best and you could enjoy every bit of the match.
