IPL governing council have a packed schedule on their hands

Dubai - The governing council will hold a crucial meeting on Sunday

As the pace picks up for the Indian Premier League (IPL) to be staged in the UAE, the IPL governing council have a packed schedule on their hands when they hold a crucial meeting on Sunday.
After the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sent the official Letter of Intent to the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) for the latter to begin the groundwork for the popular money-spinning franchise league, the governing council will get down to working on the various aspects in holding this edition of the League.
This year's edition, the 13th season of the league, was initially scheduled to take place between March 29 and May 17 but had to be postponed because of the pandemic. 
IPL governing council chairman Brijesh Patel had last week said that they are looking at the window between September 19 to November 8 to hold the league.
The governing council will discuss the dates, the number of matches, the number of double headers, the venues, the training facilities, broadcasting, as well as the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the eight franchises in terms of quarantine procedures and creating a biosecure bubble to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The IPL governing council will meet on August 2," Patel told Indian news agency PTI.
According to media reports, the meeting will be attended by the top brass of the BCCI which includes president Sourav Ganguly, secretary Jay Shah and quite possibly treasurer Arun Dhumal.
It is understood that the IPL will consist of 60 fixtures to be played in 51 days. The timings of the matches are being worked out with the broadcaster Star Sports and there is the possibility of less number of double headers to suit the Indian audience. India is an hour and a half ahead of the UAE.
It is still unclear whether the tournament will be played behind closed doors or a limited number of spectators will be allowed with Patel telling the Khaleej Times last week that it will depend on the policy of the UAE government.
So, the agenda during the meeting will also include how to offset the loss of gate money since there will be no home and away games as such with the tournament being played at the three venues - Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Zayed Cricket Stadium and the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The eight franchises also depend on gate receipts during the tournament, which runs to packed houses in India.
Close to 1200 people, including Indian players, officials, support staff, broadcasting team and foreign stars are expected to touch down in the UAE and one of the discussions would be whether players' families will be allowed to accompany them, especially considering the circumstances.
sports@khaleejtimes.com