NEW DELHI: Taking UAE’s searing September heat in mind, the BCCI is exploring the option of using the full window of Indian Premier League by pushing the final back to October 15.
As already reported, the tournament will start on Sunday, September 19 and while the final was tentatively planned for October 10, the BCCI is now working out the logistics of concluding the IPL on October 15.
“September 15 to October 15 is the window. Initially, BCCI was thinking of having 10 double headers. But, in the third and fourth week of September, having 10 afternoon matches can be physically exhausting for a player in such a short window,” PTI quotes a BCCI source as having said.
“So if October 15, which is a Friday is zeroed in on, it’s basically start of weekend in India and in Dubai, it’s a holiday, which will allow fans to come in and enjoy a high-profile game of cricket. It serves a dual purpose. Also, the number of double headers could be reduced to five or six, instead of 10,” the source told the newswire.
The Indian team’s last Test in England is in Manchester and if it goes the distance, then it will finish on September 14. The next day, the Indian contingent of IPL players will be flown via a charter flight from Manchester to Dubai.
