NEW DELHI: Delhi Capitals has welcomed the Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council's decision to organise the 13th edition of the IPL in the United Arab Emirates, as coronavirus continues to rage in India.
The IPL was slated to be played in March-May, but it was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. And now, it will be played from September 19-November 10 in the UAE.
Speaking on the commencement of the new season, team co-owner and Chairman Parth Jindal said, "There is no doubt that the news of the IPL taking place has come as a breath of fresh air for all of us. The fact that the IPL is going to be conducted amidst such challenging times is another testament to the BCCI and to IPL's global standing as one of the top leagues amongst all sports in the world."
"The number of people who have expressed delight is remarkable and we all at DC are looking forward to giving it our all for our fans to bring the trophy to Delhi this season. IPL truly has the power to lift the morale of our country as we fight the COVID pandemic and I for one am delighted that IPL 2020 is being conducted," he added.
The tournament will be held across three venues in UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah).
"It's never an easy decision to have to host an Indian Premier League outside India. However, given the current circumstances, I believe this is going to be a very significant edition of the tournament, not just for the league, but the sport of cricket itself," said Dhiraj Malhotra, CEO, Delhi Capitals.
The IPL 2020 will run for 53 days, September 19 - November 10, in the UAE subject to clearance from the Government of India (GoI), announced the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday.
Shreyas Iyer, who captained the side to a creditable third-place finish in what was a memorable 2019 said, "In the challenging times that our world is going through, there's no doubt that the news of the IPL happening is one of the best things we've all heard in a long time. We're definitely going to miss our Delhi fans in the stadium, they were a crucial part of our success last year."
The BCCI had also confirmed that "Women's T20 Challenge will also take place in the UAE and will comprise three teams with four matches to be played during the IPL Playoff week.