IPL 2021: Defending champions Mumbai Indians look to land in Dubai on August 13

Just like Chennai Super Kings, defending champions Mumbai Indians is also keen to land in Dubai on Friday. The two teams will lock horns in the opening game of the UAE leg of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League on September 19.

Speaking to ANI, sources in the know of developments confirmed that Mumbai Indians is keen to land in Dubai on Friday and is waiting for landing permission.

"The team is awaiting the landing permission from the UAE government just like CSK and once they get that, they also wish to land in Dubai on Friday. It will be a bubble-to-bubble transfer for MI, but they will still undergo quarantine as per protocols once in UAE. It is bubble-to-bubble because the boys are already in a bubble and training in Mumbai," the source said.

The Mumbai Indians unit has been training at their ground in Ghansoli, the Reliance Corporate Park. As per sources, the MI domestic players have been training for the last two weeks after undergoing quarantine. The members currently part of the set-up have also been undergoing regular COVID-19 tests to ensure everyone is risk-free.

Meanwhile, it has come to the fore that only Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders have decided to re-book the hotels they used during the 2020 edition of the IPL. All the other six franchises will stay at new hotels.

The BCCI SOP had called for teams to preferably book smaller hotel properties so that they could be fully booked for exclusive use by the participants within the Bio-Secure Environments. The SOP further stated that if a larger hotel is chosen, then the participants will be accommodated in a separate wing of the hotel. No other hotel guests will be allowed in the team zones/floors. Dedicated floors/zones will be allotted to each franchise team, match officials and match management teams to avoid mixing of the various groups within the hotel premises.

The 14th season, which was postponed in May this year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, will resume on September 19 in Dubai with a blockbuster clash between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.

The action will then shift to Abu Dhabi where Kolkata Knight Riders will square off against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Sharjah will host its first game on September 24 when Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Chennai Super Kings. In all, 13 matches will be held in Dubai, 10 in Sharjah, and 8 in Abu Dhabi.

(ANI)