IPL 2020: Is the Gulf heat on the players?

Bengaluru, October 3: With the weekend double header of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 getting underway with the match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday (October 3), the 'heat is on' the players literally.

The first match of the day, which begins at 2pm local time (3.30pm IST) makes for good television watching, but it isn't all that hunky dory for the players.

October is generally the time when the weather in the UAE and the entire Middle East/ Gulf region changes with summer on last leg and winter slowly setting in.

But this is also the time when humidity is at its peak, especially in the late afternoon, which takes a heavy toll out of players.

First double header of #IPL2020 and it features #RCBvsRR. 3:30 PM IST start in Abu Dhabi and conditions will be hot, very hot. Here is the weather report, pitch and Probable 11s #RR #RCB #IPL2020kaDNA https://t.co/fqS3TCjHAh

— DNA (@dna) October 3, 2020

Unlike day-night games when the dew factor comes into play and generally the teams winning toss prefer to chase, it is the other way round in the late afternoon matches.

No wonder Rajasthan Royals skipper Steve Smith did not think twice before deciding to take first use of the wicket after winning the toss,.

"It's a day game, pretty warm out here, so we want to bat first and set a target," Smith said at the toss.

His opposite number - Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli -- was candid while admitting that he too would have done the same had the spin of the coin favoured him.

"It's dry heat, but it's not so bad. We wanted to bat first as it's a day game, better to get into the game in the first six overs of the match," he said.

Temperatures hover around 35 to 40 degrees during this time in the UAE and in the Middle East in general, which should not be a big concern for modern-day players, but humidity definitely could be a deterrent.

The India skipper, however, tried to find solace from the fact that compared to Dubai, Abu Dhabi has more breeze and it could be handy. However, it remains to be seen how much the breeze factor will come into play as the day progresses it generally tends to be more humid.

Even a fitness freak like Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni found it difficult the other day despite batting under the lights.

Asked about his struggle towards the end during the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Dhoni said," I tried to get as much as time as possible. It is quite dry out here. So, the throat gets dry and you start to cough."

The IPL was moved to the UAE due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic forced strict health protocols with the matches being played without fans.

IPL 2020: Love it or loathe it, IPL is here to stay

The three venues - Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah - are not that far away and it makes travelling and other logistic procedures much easier, especially with COVID-19 guidelines in place.

So far IPL 2020 has been a success story with one match (6pm local time, 7.30pm IST) the order of the day.

But for for the next one month, weekend double headers will be the norm, and we will know in the coming days if the players really feel the heat or not!