GUWAHATI: The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to begin on September 19, 2020. The season opener is between Chennai Super Kings vs. defending champions Mumbai Indians at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
However, this year's edition will not feature the much coveted opening ceremony like in the previous seasons.
In 2019, the IPL Governing Council and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had decided to not hold the ceremony due to the Pulwama terror attack. The Vinod Rai-led Committee of Administrators (CoA) decided to donate the fund to the families of CRPF personnel, who lost their lives in the Pulwama terror attack. “We will not have any inaugural function for the IPL and the money budgeted for that goes to the martyrs’ families,” then Committee of Administrators (CoA) chairman Vinod Rai had said.
As per reports, the tournament's closed doors approach without fans amid the novel coronavirus pandemic might be another reason for the season to start without an opening ceremony.
The cricket tournament will also be played for the first time without the glamour quotient of cheerleaders for similar reasons.
