This year's edition of the Indian Premier League will be hosted in the United Arab Emirates.
IPL governing council chairman Brijesh Patel confirmed the move on Tuesday. The tournament was originally scheduled to be played in India.
The 2020 IPL was meant to be played earlier this year, but was postponed amid the coronavirus pandemic.
It will start in late September and end in early November 2020.
The 2020 T20 World Cup was meant to be played from mid-October to mid-November. It has, however, been postponed to next year.
“Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, the Board of Control for Cricket in India will seek clearances from the government for the tournament to be played in the UAE,” said Patel, who added a formal announcement will be made soon.
“The UAE government offered us to host the IPL in their country and we are very much aware of the facilities and situation there.
“We were waiting for the International Cricket Council to officially announce the postponement of the T20 World Cup. We have applied for permission with the Indian government and should get it.”
Whether the 2020 IPL will be played without spectators as a preventative measure against the spread of the virus “depends on the UAE government,” according to Patel.
The first leg of the 2014 IPL was hosted by the UAE. Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi were the host cities. The Kolkata Knight Riders beat the Kings XI Punjab in the 2014 final. In 2009, the whole IPL was played in South Africa.
The Mumbai Indians are the reigning IPL champions, having beaten the Chennai Super Kings in last year's final. Mumbai's four titles are the most in the history of the tournament. Chennai have three and the Kolkata Knight Riders two. The Rajasthan Royals won the inaugural competition over a decade ago.
Past IPL Winners
| Year | IPL Team |
|---|---|
| 2008 | Rajasthan Royals |
| 2009 | Deccan Chargers |
| 2010 | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2011 | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2012 | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| 2013 | Mumbai Indians |
| 2014 | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| 2015 | Mumbai Indians |
| 2016 | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| 2017 | Mumbai Indians |
| 2018 | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2019 | Mumbai Indians |
Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli has scored the most runs in the IPL. Mumbai Indians fast bowler Lasith Malinga has taken the most wickets.
Earlier this year, Australian batsman David Warner was reappointed captain of the Sunrisers Hyderabad. He had relinquished the captaincy to New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson and Indian seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar amid a suspension for ball-tampering during Australia's tour of South Africa in 2018.
Warner has the most IPL runs among non-Indian batsmen.
