The shadow of a man falls on a backdrop with the logo of the India's cricket board BCCI before the start of a news conference to announce its cricket team's coach, in Mumbai, India, August 16, 2019. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo
(Reuters): This year's Indian Premier League (IPL) will take place between Sept. 19 and Nov. 10 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after the Indian cricket board (BCCI) received government clearance, the Twenty20 league's chairman Brijesh Patel confirmed on Monday.
The league was originally scheduled to begin in late March but had to be put off because of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving the BCCI staring at a potential $534 million loss in revenue.
But Patel confirmed to Reuters via a text message that the T20 league had now received formal approval from the Indian government to proceed.
It is not the first time that the popular competition will be held outside India, with the 2009 edition taking place in South Africa as it coincided with India's elections.
The UAE hosted the early matches of the tournament five years later for the same reason.
