The IPL 2021 that was earlier suspended due to the rise in Covid-19 cases within the teams is likely to resume on September 19 or 20 with the final tentatively taking place on October 9 or 10. The fixtures will include 10 double-headers which will be played in the span of three weeks.
Earlier, CSK’s bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji and batting coach Mike Hussey, DC’s Amit Mishra, KKR’s Sandeep Warrior and Varun Chakravarthy and SRH’s Wriddhiman Saha had tested positive for the disease due to which the tournament had to be put on a halt.
The resumption of the tournament on these dates will mean that India will either have to cancel or postpone a couple of series and this would include a bilateral tie against South Africa that was scheduled to take place in September and the two-match Test series against New Zealand at home.
“The series can't be held and in any case there can't be any better preparation for the T20 World Cup than playing a high intensity tournament like IPL. Since the T20 World Cup will start within a week or 10 days after completion of the IPL, the SA series can only be held at a later date,” a source told news agency PTI.
'There is a chance that India might play extra games when they tour South Africa early next year,' the source added.
The dates for the New Zealand Tests might be altered depending upon the conclusion of the World T20.