BCCI president Sourav Ganguly landed here on Wednesday to oversee preparations for a bio-secure IPL beginning on September 19. Defending champions Mumbai Indians will face Chennai Super Kings in the opening match of the T20 event, which has been moved to the UAE due to the rising COVID-19 cases in India. "My first flight in 6 months to dubai for IPL...crazy life changes," Ganguly posted on his Instagram handle ahead of his departure with a picture in which he is wearing a mask and face shield, part of the Standard Operating Procedure while flying amid the pandemic.

He will be in quarantine for the next six days and is expected to be in the UAE till September 23. The BCCI was able to create a window for the IPL following the postponement of the T20 World Cup in Australia, scheduled for October-November. The Board would have faced a revenue loss of Rs 4000 crore if the tournament, which usually takes place in April-May, had not got the go ahead.