Sport360° understands that Abu Dhabi is expected to host seven IPL matches, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) meeting with franchise owners today to discuss the scheduling of the league.
Overall, 16 matches of the Twenty20 league will be played in the UAE between April 16 and 30, but the fixture list is still to be released .
With the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi preparing for seven matches, the remaining nine matches will be split between the Dubai International Stadium and Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Franchise owners will meet with BCCI officials in Chennai today seeking assurances that the temporary move to the UAE will not result in additional expenses for the team.
The BCCI had been forced to seek out alternate venues for the seventh edition of the tournament as it clashes with general elections in India. The board were awaiting clearance from the Indian government on the tournament’s return home from May 1, when voting will be completed in most states of the country.
Bangladesh is the standby venue if the government refuse permission and they would host the second leg from May 1-12 before the tournament returns to India.
Stars such as Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli (both Royal Challengers Bangalore), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings) and Kevin Pietersen (Delhi Daredevils) are set to feature in the UAE.
Meanwhile, the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has instructed the BCCI they want to host matches at the 75,000-capacity Jawaharlal Nehru International stadium, despite no longer having an IPL franchise.
The BCCI are reported to have already contacted the Kochi police commissioner to receive assurances over security.
