T20 World Cup to be moved from India to UAE amid Covid crisis

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah confirmed on Monday that the 2021 edition of the T20 World Cup will be shifted to the UAE.

"We will inform ICC today that we are shifting the T20 World Cup to UAE. The dates of the tournament, the ICC needs to decide," the BCCI Secretary told ANI.

Earlier, the ICC had clarified that BCCI would keep the hosting rights of the tournament even if it is moved out of India. Meanwhile, the Indian Premier League (IPL)'s 14th edition will also be completed in the UAE. The IPL is set to get underway on September 19 and the final is to be played on October 15.

This would also mean that it is just before the T20 World Cup. And that has seen franchises sweating over whether foreign players would be made available to them.

Some of the franchises are planning to have their officials head to the UAE post-July 6 to finalise the logistics, keeping a strict eye on the COVID-19 protocols.

Cricket West Indies President Ricky Skerritt has already confirmed that CWI, the BCCI, and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) are engaged in talks for a tweaked CPL schedule to accommodate the second phase of the IPL. The CPL, which was originally scheduled to commence on August 28, will now be played in St Kitts and Nevis between August 26 and September 15.