Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir has said that the 13th installment of the Indian Premier League which will be played out in the United Arab Emirates from September will change the mood of the nation. The former Kolkata Knight Riders captain believes that the cricket tournament will play a pivotal role in uplifting the collective mood of the nation amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

The Indian opener discussing on the importance of the tournament said  “It doesn’t matter where it goes but obviously it goes to UAE, it’s a great venue to play any format and plus most importantly it is going to change the mood of the nation” speaking to Star Sports show Cricket Connected.

Gambhir added “It’s not about which franchise win, which player score runs, which guy takes wicket, it’s just changing the mood of the nation. So, this IPL probably will be bigger than rest of the IPL because I think this if for the nation.”

The Board of  Control for Cricket in India has stated that the Indian Premier League will be conducted in UAE due to the sharp spike in coronavirus cases in India. The event which was scheduled for the month of April had previously been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, the International Cricket Council’s decision to postpone the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia has now provided the BCCI with a window to conduct the tournament September onwards.