IPL 2020: Delhi Capitals will miss fans but can make it a season to remember, says captain Shreyas Iyer

New Delhi, August 4: Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Capitals expressed its excitement after Government of India gave its green signal to IPL Governing Council's decision to host IPL 13 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Delhi Capitals on Monday (August 4) welcomed the IPL Governing Council's decision to organise the tournament in the UAE, owing to the COVID-19 situation in the country. The tournament will be held between September 19 and November 10, and across three venues in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.

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Speaking on the commencement of the new season, team co-owner and Chairman Parth Jindal said, "There is no doubt that the news of the IPL taking place has come as a breath of fresh air for all of us. The fact that the IPL is going to be conducted amidst such challenging times is another testament to the BCCI and to IPL's global standing as one of the top leagues amongst all sports in the world.

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"The number of people who have expressed delight is remarkable and we all at DC are looking forward to giving it our all for our fans to bring the trophy to Delhi this season. IPL truly has the power to lift the morale of our country as we fight the COVID pandemic and I for one am delighted that IPL 2020 is being conducted."

Jindal also thanked Delhi Capitals' fans and urged them to keep supporting them from their respective homes.

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"To our Delhi Capitals fans, I would like to stress on how important your support is going to be for our team, even though you will not be able to make it to the stadiums this year it will be our endeavour to keep you engaged remotely throughout the tournament in the best and most innovative way possible. Do keep the love and support coming in from the safety of your homes, I can assure you it's going to go a long way in bringing the best out of our players," he added further.

Delhi Capitals' skipper Shreyas Iyer, who captained the side to a creditable third-place finish in what was a memorable 2019, said, "In the challenging times that our world is going through, there's no doubt that the news of the IPL happening is one of the best things we've all heard in a long time. We're definitely going to miss our Delhi fans in the stadium, they were a crucial part of our success last year. I can't wait to assemble with my teammates soon, especially those who are new to the Delhi Capitals side, and give our very best in making the upcoming season a truly memorable one."

Dhiraj Malhotra, CEO, Delhi Capitals, said he believes the upcoming edition will be a significant one. "It's never an easy decision to have to host an Indian Premier League outside India. However, given the current circumstances, I believe this is going to be a very significant edition of the tournament, not just for the league, but the sport of cricket itself. The UAE has played host to some IPL matches earlier, and I'm sure that experience will come in handy, even though the challenges will be very different this time around. I'm confident all measures will be taken for 100% safe conduct of the tournament," he said.

Afternoon matches of IPL 13 will begin at 15:30 IST, while evening matches will begin at 19:30 IST.