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After IPL postponement, UAE becomes a contender for T20 World Cup
Will the postponement of the IPL have an impact on the 2021 men’s T20 World Cup, scheduled in India later this year? It is too early to say as the fallout from the blows, is yet to settle after the number of cases inside the bubble began to rise over the last few days. But ESPNcricinfo understands that while the ICC continues to monitor the situation in India, the UAE, which has been slotted in as a back-up venue, is now becoming a more realistic contender to host the global tournament. As it stands, the T20 World Cup, comprising 16 countries, is scheduled to be played in India between late October and November this year where the final is slated on 14th November. BCCI recently shortlisted nine venues in India which were proposed to the ICC the host of global competition. An ICC team of experts from the bio-safety, events, and security wings was scheduled to visit India from April 26 to do an inspection of the venues but was forced to shelve that plan due to the travel ban imposed by the UAE to and from India. This week India crossed the 20-million mark for positive Covid-19 infections and has been brought to a standstill by a raging second wave. The numbers were significantly high even in March when the BCCI announced the IPL schedule comprising six venues
