IPL 2021 to resume with MI-CSK clash on September 19 in Dubai: BCCI

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday announced the schedule for the remainder of the VIVO IPL 2021 which will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A total number of 31 matches will be played in the duration of 27 days.

The 14th season, which was postponed in May this year in the wake of the Covid pandemic, will resume on September 19 in Dubai with a blockbuster clash between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, said BCCI Secretary Jay Shah.

The  action will then shift to Abu Dhabi where the Kolkata Knight Riders will square off against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Sharjah will host its first game on September 24 when Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Chennai Super Kings.

In all, 13 matches will be held in Dubai, 10 in Sharjah and 8 in Abu Dhabi.

There will be 7 double headers (5 matches already played in India – total of 12 matches) with the first match starting at 3:30 PM IST. All evening matches will start at 7:30 PM IST.

Final game of the league stage will be played between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals on October 8.

The 1st Qualifier will be played in Dubai on 10th October. The Eliminator & Qualifier 2 will be played in Sharjah on 11th & 13th October respectively with Dubai hosting the Final of VIVO IPL 2021 on 15th October this year.

The complete fixtures for the remainder of VIVO IPL 2021 can be accessed here.

Earlier this week, Shah had met Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, United Arab Emirates Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Social Development and Khalid Al Zarooni.

The BCCI Secretary posted the photos on Twitter and he captioned the post as: "Taking @IPL's remarkable journey to the #UAE again! Thank you, H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahyan & Khalid Al Zarooni for your lasting friendship and vision. We will overcome trying times and challenges, together."

The BCCI is confident that maximum foreign players will be available for the tournament even though it is being played just before the start of the T20 World Cup.

Following discussions between the BCCI, Caribbean Premier League (CPL), and Cricket West Indies (CWI), the dates of this year's CPL T20 tournament have been amended. The CPL will now start on August 26 and will conclude on September 15.