Covid has engulfed a lot of sports activities across the globe. In India, Cricket is a game that attracts the most audience. Covid did not take any cricketer’s life, but it has affected the entire cricket structure in India.
The smooth conduct of IPL 2021 in India was always a challenging task. Since the IPL got postponed due to sudden covid emergence inside the bio-bubble, there has been a considerable loss.
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BCCI Image And Reputation Tarnished
BCCI is famous for its impeccable record of conducting any Cricket event peacefully. They are regarded as the most professional, powerful, and respected cricket board across the globe. The conduct of IPL 2021 in India during the pandemic was always risky. BCCI went with their decision. The secure bio bubble, which BCCI always said is the safest thing against Covid, broke midway during IPL 2021. At that moment, BCCI failed as a cricket body.
After the inevitable happened, it was always going to be a matter of pride for the richest Cricket board to complete the remaining matches of IPL 2021. After a lot of brainstorming, BCCI decided to complete the remaining games of IPL 2021 in the UAE.
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The completion of IPL 2021 in India was not a very difficult task. We have seen examples of other sports events such as the Premier League, Tennis, etc., conducted safely without any significant covid issue. But it is very much known to everyone that there were a few safety and security compromise which led to IPL getting stopped mid-way.
The Monetary Loss
As soon as IPL 2021 got suspended indefinitely, news surfaced that BCCI will lose close to 2500 to 3000 Crores if IPL 2021 does not get completed. The amount is enormous. This is why BCCI was searching for any possible window to complete the remaining matches of IPL 2021. They have selected UAE as the destination to complete the remaining leg of IPL 2021. It will still require a lot of planning.
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The budget of all the IPL franchises will have to be tweaked. They will need to book specially chartered flights to bring different groups of players from different corners of the globe. The hotels in UAE also charge a hefty price for the accommodation. This will be an added cost expenditure that needs to be addressed. BCCI will have to form new bio-bubbles for all the teams. All these things will require an added expense.
Unavailability Of Key Foreign Players
The USP of IPL is the involvement of key foreign players. This is the reason why IPL is the most-watched cricket league across the globe. The audience spends thousands of rupees buying match tickets and watching their favorite superstars in action on the cricket field. The suspension of IPL 2021 from India is a huge dent that will be very hard to recover. With BCCI rescheduling the remaining matches of IPL 2021 during sep-oct, many foreign players will be unavailable.
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The UAE government has allowed a 50% audience for IPL matches. But it seems they will have to be contained with only Indian players. Ben stokes won’t entertain the crowd, nor will Jos butler and other England players.
West Indies’ great Chris Gayle may also be absent in the initial few matches due to the CPL schedule. There will also be no Pat Cummins to entertain the local audience with his sheer pace.
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How IPL 2021 Will Be Different In UAE As Compared To India
So, the UAE leg of IPL will be very different. However, as it said, “Something is always better than nothing.” BCCI will be feeling a sigh of relief that they have managed to find a window to complete the remaining matches of IPL 2021. It all depends on how BCCI conducts the remaining games of IPL 2021 safely and still entertain all cricket lovers across the globe.
