Cricket: Amid virus surge in India, ICC may move T20 World Cup from India to UAE
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The Indian Premier League was earlier suspended on May 4 after the country was hit by the second wave of the virus as some players tested positive.
Just days after the Indian cricket board announced that it will be holding the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the UAE in September, International Cricket Council(ICC) said it may shift T20 World Cup 2021 to the UAE with India reeling under the pandemic.
"The ICC board has requested management focus its planning efforts for the ICC men's T20 World Cup 2021 on the event being staged in the UAE with the possibility of including another venue in the Middle East," the ICC said in a statement.
The Indian Premier League was earlier suspended on May 4 after the country was hit by the second wave of the virus as some players tested positive.
The ICC is set to decide on the host country for the October-November event later this month even as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) reportedly asked the cricket's governing body for more time to make a decision.
Reports say the ICC is likely to keep Oman's Muscat as the back-up venue for the preliminary round games of the T20 World Cup.
The governing body further said that the ICC men’s cricket World Cup will become a 14-team, 54 match event in 2027 and 2031 with the T20 men's World Cup to be expanded to 20 teams in 2024, 2026, 2028 and 2030
The ICC added that the Champions Trophy consisting of eight teams will take place in 2025 and 2029.
(With inputs from Agencies)