Kevin Pietersen suggests UK as ideal venue to conclude IPL 2021

Kevin Pietersen has come up with a unique suggestion and feels that the remaining part of IPL 2021 should be conducted in UK, just after the conclusion of India and England Test series.

Kevin Pietersen suggests UK as ideal venue to conclude IPL 2021

The Indian Premier League on Tuesday was suspended indefinitely by the BCCI after a string of COVID-19 cases emerged inside the bio-bubble, forcing few franchises to go into self isolation. 

There have been no official word on when will the league resume but many have hinted that September could be the possible window available to conduct the remainder of IPL 2021. 

Amidst all the development, Kevin Pietersen has come up with a unique suggestion and feels that the remaining part of the tournament should be conducted in UK, just after the conclusion of India and England Test series.

READ | IPL 2021 takes a pause due to COVID-19, ex-cricketers welcome BCCI's step

"I have seen people talking about the UAE as a possible destination to finish the IPL in September but I actually think that the IPL should move to the UK. There is a window in September after the England v India Test series has finished. All the best Indian players would already be there and all of the best English players would be available as well."

"Mid-to-late September is the most beautiful time in the UK. They could use Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and the two London grounds," the former cricketer wrote in a column for Betway Insider. 

Pietersen also took the reference of London mayor Sadiq Khan, who had earlier expressed to host IPL matches in England's capital. 

"Surrey are speaking to teams in India and colleagues in the BCCI and IPL. The first step will be friendlies and exhibition matches. We want to get them going, maybe even this year if we make progress as we are doing with the pandemic. It has to be Covid-safe, of course. We have to bang the drum for our city, and sport is one way to do this," Sadiq Khan said at a children’s cricket training session in southwest London last month. 

“This is part of my plan to build a better London after the pandemic. I know Londoners are hungry to see more of the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant and, with two of the world’s greatest cricket grounds in Lord’s and The Kia Oval, London is ideally placed to host IPL matches,” the mayor added.