IPL 2021 to resume in UAE from September, BCCI says

Mumbai Indians won the IPL title for the fifth time after defeating Delhi Capitals by five wickets in Dubai in 2020.

Mumbai Indians with the 2020 IPL trophy in Dubai on Tuesday.

Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma celebrates the win in the final against Delhi Capitals.

Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma powered Mumbai Indians to a comfortable win over Delhi Capitals in the IPL final in Dubai on Tuesday.

Rohit Sharma hit a match-winning fifty for Mumbai Indians in the final against Delhi Capitals.

Ishan Kishan has been a revelation for Mumbai Indians.

Jayant Yadav of Mumbai Indians celebrates the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan of Delhi Capitals.

Trent Boult gave Mumbai Indians an electric start with the ball against Delhi Capitals in the final in Dubai on Tuesday.

Nita Ambani, co- owner of Mumbai Indians, cheers her team in Dubai.

Rishabh Pant of Delhi Capitals scored a fifty on Tuesday.

Marcus Stoinis of Delhi Capitals celebrates the wicket of Quinton de Kock.

Shikhar Dhawan of Delhi Capitals is bowled by Jayant Yadav.

Shreyas Iyer, captain of Delhi Capitals, celebrates his fifty.

The Indian Premier League, halted earlier this month due to the coronavirus crisis gripping India, will resume in the UAE in September and October, India's national cricket board said.

The world's richest cricket tournament was suspended on May 4 after a number of players and team officials tested positive for Covid-19 despite being in bio-secure bubbles.

It is thought the remaining 31 matches will be split into 10 double headers, seven single headers and four play-offs, which will be fit into the 21-day window the Board of Control for Cricket in India hopes to create before the ICC Twenty20 World Cup.

The 2020 IPL was also postponed and was held exclusively in the UAE, with Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah as host venues. The Emirates Cricket Board are yet to comment on the BCCI's announcement until late on Saturday.

The BCCI also said it would ask the global governing body, the ICC, for more time to make a decision on whether the T20 World Cup should be held in India in October and November.

Since April 1, about 160,000 people have died in India in a devastating wave that has seen hospitals overwhelmed and fears are growing that the country could be hit by yet another surge in cases later this year.

India reported its lowest daily rise in new Covid-19 cases for a month on Friday but the tally remained high at 186,364 infections and 3,660 deaths.

The BCCI said that it "unanimously agreed" to move the remaining matches to the UAE because of the monsoon season, and did not mention the pandemic.

The monsoon season generally runs from June to mid-September.

The World Cup is also due to be held in India from October but it is also at risk from the pandemic. The tournament is due to be discussed by the International Cricket Council next Tuesday.

The BCCI said that the general meeting "authorised the office bearers to seek an extension of time from the ICC to take an appropriate call on the hosting of ICC T20 World Cup 2021".