Emirates Cricket Board confirms receiving BCCI's letter of intent to host IPL 2020

Dubai [UAE], July 27 (ANI): Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday confirmed that the board has received the official Letter of Intent from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to host the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
"We have received the (official) letter and now wait on the decision from the Indian Government which will ink the final deal," Mubashshir Usmani, Emirates Cricket Board Secretary-General said in an official statement.
IPL's chairman Brijesh Patel had earlier confirmed that the tournament would be hosted in the UAE from September 19- November 8.
"There are many factors that influence the operations and logistics of hosting what is the world's most exciting, popular, and lucrative tournament. This is a massive movement of people and equipment and we now need to bring in the experts to discuss all aspects of UAE hosting the IPL," Usmani said.
"This includes the Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah Sports Councils, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah Tourism Bodies and the respective Government entities - such as the Police Forces and the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, all who have had strong, proven experience in such activities and we will work together to ascertain the best practices to support and deliver on a successful edition," he added.
UAE had earlier hosted the first half of the 2014 IPL because of the Lok Sabha elections in India.
Commenting on the current situation regarding CoVid-19 Usmani stated that: "Firstly, we are extremely pleased with how the UAE Government responded to the virus, which was as early as February and we continue to see encouraging numbers across the country - in decreasing cases and increasing recoveries." "Secondly, we will fully support any requirements stipulated by the relevant Health Authorities in regards to CoVid-19 safety measures and management."
The postponement of this year's Men's T20 World Cup by the International Cricket Council (ICC) provided the much-needed window to stage the IPL 2020.
Scheduling of the IPL 2020 edition, the training camp for players, and discussion over the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) are among the topics which will be discussed in the upcoming IPL Governing Council meeting.
Last week, a source within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) told ANI that SOP for teams and bio bubble training facilities, shifting of the tournament, its schedule and format, and training camp, travel, and stay will be discussed during IPL GC meeting.
Other matters to be discussed are operational aspects, DXB app to download for players and officials, and discussion on issues related to the broadcaster.
This year's IPL was slated to commence from March 29 but the tournament was postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic. (ANI)