|| CF DESK ||

The second leg of the IPL 2021 is scheduled to be played in UAE from September 19 after the tournament was halted due to the rise of covid cases in India.

BCCI has set the deadline of August 20 to submit their final squad for the tournament, but ECB and Cricket Australia are yet to confirm their players’ availability, as a result the franchises are in a bit trouble.

“We have to submit the squad by August 20 but I can’t confirm whether all foreign players will be available. We are still in talks with some players. The good thing is that the T20 World Cup will be held in UAE and that gives us confidence that all players will be available but we are still waiting on some players’ final confirmation,” a franchise official was quoted.

“Yes, BCCI’s delay in responding officially did play a part in last-minute hassle. We kept hearing about players’ availability in the news but the BCCI only confirmed that officially in August. That’s why the August 20 deadline is a little early for us. But if that’s the norm, we will adhere to that,” another franchise official said.

Earlier, both Cricket Australia (CA) and England Cricket Board (ECB) have said that it will be up to players whether they want to participate in the tournament or not.

The second leg of IPL 2021 will start from September 19 and will conclude on October 15. Abu Dhabi and Sharjah will host the 31 matches in the tournament.