IPL 2021: BCCI trying to convince CWI to advance start of CPL 2021 and avoid clash - Reports
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly Cricket West Indies (CWI) to advance the start of the upcoming Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season to avoid a clash with the IPL 2021 restart.
On Saturday, the BCCI approved the resumption of its opulent league in the UAE in mid-September. The CPL is scheduled to get underway from August 28 with the final to be played on September 19.
According to news agency PTI, the BCCI is trying to convince the CWI to advance the start of their tournament by a week or 10 days to ensure a smooth bubble-to-bubble transfer for players.
'We are in talks with Cricket West Indies. We are hoping that if CPL can be finished a few days in advance, it would help in bubble to bubble transfer of all players to Dubai and in time to complete the mandatory three-day quarantine,' a BCCI source, privy to the development, told PTI on Sunday.
If the BCCI and its West Indian counterpart fail to reach an agreement, some of the biggest names in the IPL 2021 could miss the first few games of the resumed season.
These include Mumbai Indians' Kieron Pollard, Kolkata Knight Riders' Andre Russell, Punjab Kings' Chris Gayle Delhi Capitals' Shimron Hetmyer and Chennai Super Kings' Dwayne Bravo, among others. Trinbago Knight Riders coach Brendon McCullum, who is associated with KKR in the same role, might also have to watch the first half from the sidelines.
3-day quarantine for CPL players before IPL: BCCI
Previously, another BCCI official had confirmed that players arriving from the Caribbean will have to undergo only a 3-day quarantine for IPL 2021.
"Similarly, the West Indies players will also fly in after completing the Caribbean Premier League engagements. There will be a three-day quarantine for players arriving from the UK and the Caribbean,” the official told PTI.
31 games remain in the IPL 2021 including the three qualifiers and the final. The tournament was suspended mid-way through May after multiple Covid-19 cases emerged in its bio-secure bubbles.