Cricket fans all over the world are eagerly waiting for the 13th edition of Indian Premier League, which got suspended indefinitely due to coronavirus pandemic. In the latest development on Thursday, a BCCI official claimed that IPL is expected to shift to UAE or Sri Lanka this year.
The final announcement is expected soon as the BCCI is still awaiting an official decision on the fate of the T20 World Cup which was to be held in Australia in October-November.
Speaking to IANS, a BCCI official in the know of developments said that while the idea was to play the league in the country, the situation with regards to the coronavirus pandemic might force the board to ultimately take the tournament to either UAE or Sri Lanka.
"We are yet to decide on the venue but in all probability it is going outside this year. The condition in India doesn't look suited to have so many teams come in at one or two venues and then create an atmosphere which will be safe for the players as well as the general public even though the games may be played behind closed doors.
"The race is between UAE and Sri Lanka and we will need to decide on where we host the league depending on the situation there with regards to the coronavirus pandemic. Logistics also need to be looked into, so we will decide soon," the official said.
The news brought joy to cricket fans all over the world as #IPL2020 started trending on social networking site Twitter. Netizens went berserk and started posting memes and messages expressing their happiness over the development.
Meanwhile, people also started trolling Royal Challengers Bangalore, who have not IPL trophy since its inception. Last year, the Virat Kohli-led side finished last on the points table.
The IPL was originally scheduled to start from 29th March with defending champions Mumbai Indians clashing against Chennai Super Kings at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Later it was postponed indefinitely due to the global health crisis.
