Cricket fans from across the emirate have been bowled over with excitement this week, as 20 star-studded premier league matches have been confirmed to be played right here in the UAE.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has announced that the first phase of the Pepsi IPL 2014 season will be played in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah due to general elections taking place in India.
A total of 20 matches will be played in three stadiums – the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium and the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The opening match on Wednesday 16th April will be held in Abu Dhabi and the final match in Dubai on 30th April.
This T20 tournament attracts many of the world’s best players, as teams such as defending champions Mumbai Indians and 2012 winners Kolkata Knight Riders enter a bidding war for stars like India’s Yuvraj Singh, England’s Kevin Pietersen and Australian David Warner to play for their team.
It’s the second time in seven seasons that the IPL has been forced to find alternative locations due to a clash with the election period. In 2009 the entire tournament was
played in South Africa; and with 20 of this year’s games being played in the UAE, the remaining 40 will be played back in India from the first week of May.
