On Saturday, BCCI confirmed that the second phase of IPL 2021 will move to the UAE and now the vice-president Rajeev Shukla has indicated its starting date of the tournament. The BCCI had to postpone IPL 2021 indefinitely on May 4 as four franchises reported a handful of COVID-19 positive cases. He hinted that the second leg of the tournament could start on the 19th of September to end on the 10th of October. and that UAE has been kept as teh second option for the T20 World Cup.

Rajeev Shukla revealed that the franchises are happy as the BCCI is looking to find closure for IPL 2021, with England being out of contention due to the weather conditions. He claimed that they will abide by all the COVID-19 protocols that apply to India and the UAE. 

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As per the quotes in News18, Rajeev Shukla said, “From day one, they have been backing the UAE. There were some media reports about England hosting the remaining matches, but there’s a weather problem in England where it rains a lot. Even if we start on September 19, by the 10th of October we have to finish it. Then there’s a T20 World Cup October-November also. So keeping the weather in mind and the top-class facilities, the UAE was the best option.”

Rajeev Shukla highlighted that they have discussed the issue with the T20 World Cup, asserting that India remains their first-choice to host the tournament and they have asked some time with the ICC to have more deliberation. He claimed that if the COVID-19 situation does not improve towards the end of June or the first week of July, UAE will stage it. If it does, India’s hosting plans remain on the cards.

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Clarifying the same, Shukla said, “That issue also has been deliberated. Our first choice is India. So we will be seeking some time from the ICC, a month or so, to decide about it. If towards the end of June or maybe, the first week of July, the situation is not good there India, then obviously it will come to the UAE. If the situation improves in India and we are able to host it, then we will be hosting there.”