IPL 2021: Punjab Kings set to depart for the UAE on August 29 confirms PBKS CEOΒ
Punjab Kings (PBKS) will depart for the UAE on August 29 to prepare for the second half of IPL 2021. They faced the Delhi Capitals in the final game of the first half of the tournament before it was called off due to multiple instances of bio-bubble breaches.
The franchise underwent a revamp which included a change to their name as well as their team logo. Punjab Kings CEO Satish Menon confirmed that the team would be departing for the Middle East at the end of the month.
Punjab Kings will welcome back their captain KL Rahul to the set up as well. The wicket-keeper batsman was set to miss a major share of matches had the tournament continued due to a bout of appendicitis.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are also said to be planning their camp in the UAE for the team. Like the Punjab Kings, SRH are finalizing their plans to send the contingent in the next two weeks.
IPL 2021: CSK and DC to reach UAE before Punjab Kings
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Delhi Capitals (DC) are currently scheduled to be the first teams to arrive in the UAE ahead of the IPL restart.
Although the Punjab Kings and other franchises were also intent on starting their camps around the same time, they have a number of players who are still with the national team on their respective assignments.
The top two sides in the points table had started preparing to send their team at the earliest. They even sought permission from the BCCI to reach the UAE a whole month before the competition's resumption.
βThe date of the departure has not been finalized yet but we are planning to send the team by 13th or 14th of August. CSK will be flying to Dubai and will start our training from there,β CEO Kasi Vishwanathan told Inside Sport.
CSK will be the franchise with the highest number of players available for their training camp.
βWe are yet to talk with players. But all the available players will fly to Dubai together,β the CSK CEO added.
The second phase of IPL 2021 will begin with the marquee clash between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians in Dubai on September 19.