The Union government has given the formal approval to the BCCI to conduct the IPL 2020 in the UAE, IPL chairman Brijesh Patel confirmed on Monday.
The Board had, last week, got the “in principle” government approval to take the IPL to the UAE this year amid the rising COVID-19 cases in the country. The IPL will be held in the UAE from September 19 to November 10 in three cities—Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
"Yes, we have received all the written approvals," Patel told PTI when asked whether the permission has come in writing from both the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). When an Indian sports body shifts a domestic tournament abroad, it requires clearance from Home, External and sports ministries respectively. "Once we had the verbal okay from the government, we had intimated the Emirates Cricket Board. Now we have the papers also, so franchises can be intimated that everything is in order," a veteran BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
The eight franchises have started their preparations by initiating quarantine and COVID-19 testing protocols for their players and support staff. Most of the franchises will be flying out after August 20 after two mandatory RT-PCR (COVID-19 tests) conducted within 24 hours from their departure base.
The Chennai Super Kings players and staff, who are leaving on August 22, will have a small camp at the Chepauk on the insistence of skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, have quarantined their Indian players at its base.
Patel also said that the BCCI, in all likelihood, will announce the tournament's new title sponsors by August 18. There will be a seven-day window for interested companies to submit the bid.
The BCCI is also facing problems on the sponsorship front after calling off the title deal with Chinese mobile phone company VIVO for the current year due to massive public outrage over the India-China border stand-off.
It was a Rs 440 crore deal and as BCCI looks at potential sponsors, Baba Ramdev's Patanjali has shown interest in becoming the new title sponsor.
Patel, however, expressed confidence that a lot of companies are interested in becoming IPL sponsors.
"It is not a setback (VIVO pulling out). There is already a lot of interest (for title rights). Whether an Indian company or from anywhere else, whoever bids the most gets the rights. We will finalise the whole process by August 18," Patel said.
(With PTI inputs)
