|| Desk Report ||

The road to Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 is becoming more and more clear, with chairman Brijesh Patel announcing the decision to host the T20 league in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this year.

The tentative schedule sees the league starting September 19 but if reports are to be concerned, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is being put under pressure to organize an international cricket series before the start of IPL 13.

The Indian board has seen quite a few of its international assignments being cancelled in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting with the limited-overs contest against South Africa in March, the BCCI has canceled matches against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe too.

As per a report in Bangalore Mirror, the BCCI stakeholders are putting pressure on the board to have an international series before the T20 league begins on September 26, preferably against South Africa.

After the India - South Africa ODI series was cancelled back in March, the two teams have been scheduled for a face-off in August (the series is not a part of the original Future Tours Program) for three T20I matches.

When asked about the bilateral assignment, IPL chairman Brijesh Patel told the paper: “We will discuss everything at the GC (Governing Council).”

It’s to be noted that international cricket resumed with the England vs West Indies Test series in the United Kingdom early July. The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is also set to host Pakistan from the first week of August.

As far as India's cricketing schedule is concerned, so far, it seems like the year-ending Australia tour will be the only bilateral series for Virat Kohli & Co.

The BCCI-contracted Indian players are set to regroup at Ahmedabad’s Motera Stadium in the coming weeks for a national camp that will see them undergo a rigorous training session.