MUMBAI: The schedule for the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League, which kicks off in the UAE on September 19, is expected to be announced later this week, once the BCCI has “tied up a few loose ends”.
Once the schedule is released, match-officials, television crews, commentators and analysts will start planning their trip.
According to a report in Times of India, the Indian cricket board is looking for the best way to keep the scheduling “dynamic”.
“The first week of the IPL could possibly see the English and Australian players missing, because post the conclusion of the white-ball series in England, the players will land in the UAE only around September 17 or 18 following which a week’s quarantine will come into effect.”
“So there is a possibility that matches in those first three or four days can be allotted to teams not majorly dependent on players flying over from the UK,” the daily quoted a BCCI source as having said.
Then there is the possibility of a player from any team testing positive. Which would mean that said player would have to go into quarantine for 14 days along with his teammates – or those sharing the same bio bubble – going into quarantine for the six-day mandatory period and once again going through the three mandatory PCR tests.
“If that happens, can that team play on those six days? Possibly not. But the tournament will go on, so it’s necessary to work on the possibility of keeping a schedule flexible enough where matches can be brought forward and delayed, as and when necessary,” the source added.
The second week of the IPL is considered very important for the tournament every year primarily from the viewpoint of keeping viewers glued.
“A thorough build-up to the IPL every year often results in the first week of the tournament being a hit and obviously getting lapped up by the viewers. The second week becomes important because the emphasis then is to ensure the same kind of enthusiasm remains, because from the third week onwards, teams are already starting to battle for the playoffs and the points table becomes a talking point. So, structuring the second week of the tournament while keeping flexibility in mind is necessary,” the BCCI source told TOI.
As far as the games are concerned, “there is an effort to try and schedule as many double-headers from the second week of October onwards so that the afternoon matches are played in better temperatures”, say those in the know.
