Big-hitting Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell considers the Indian Premier League (IPL) to be a small-scale World Cup where overseas players get one "hell of a kick" competing against each other.

The recent postponement of the T20 World Cup has cleared the decks for the BCCI to organise the Indian Premier League in the September-November window. The BCCI has sought permission from the central government to hold the league in the United Arab Emirates that has so far reported far lesser COVID-19 cases than many other cricket-playing nations. "You wait and see (with the IPL), waiting on the judgments of other people, what you can and can't do with travel and quarantine times and all that, if everything gets ticked off there I have no real reason no to go," Maxwell was quoted as saying by ''Fox Sports''.

"The overseas guys get a hell of a kick playing in it, some of the best players in the world rubbing shoulders, similar to a World Cup, but on a smaller scale. If everything gets ticked off I would love to be available for it."

The 31-year-old, an explosive batsman and an off-break bowler, was part of the 26-man enlarged Australian squad for England tour. He had taken a self-imposed break last year to address some mental health issues.

Maxwell said he has remained in contact with national coach Justin Langer and recharged his batteries during the time he was out of action.

 "To be home was a bit of a luxury at this time of the year. I've actually had a great time, freshened up the batteries and the mind as well," he said.

"I was always mentally getting myself ready for this time of year when there would potentially be cricket back on.

"I haven't been thinking about where we are going to end or who we are going to be playing. It was about getting my game ready, my body ready, and making sure I was ready for any series."

Maxwell said he was looking froward to the T20 World Cup, which Australia was scheduled to host in October-November.

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Dehradun/Pithoragarh (PTI): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for heavy rain and hailstorms across several districts of Uttarakhand on Tuesday, as temperatures remained markedly below normal in the region.

Heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar districts. Most places across all districts are expected to receive light to moderate rain or thunderstorms, while higher reaches are likely to witness snowfall, officials said on Monday.

The weather department warned of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, hail and intense spells of rain in six districts, including Dehradun and Nainital. Gusty winds with speeds reaching 40-50 kmph are also expected at isolated locations in these areas and other hilly districts.

In the state capital, Dehradun, the sky is forecast to remain partly cloudy with light rain and thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds of 30-40 kmph.

The maximum and minimum temperatures in the city are expected to hover around 31 degrees Celsius and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Maximum temperatures during the past 24 hours remained markedly below normal in the hills and appreciably below normal in the plains. While no significant change in temperature is expected over the next 2-3 days, the IMD predicts a rise of 3-5 degrees Celsius during the subsequent 3-4 days.

Rainfall was recorded in several areas after 8.30 am today, with Ramnagar receiving 31.5 mm and Nainital recording 26.5 mm. Other areas, including Pithoragarh, Khatima and Champawat, also reported moderate precipitation.

Authorities have stopped a batch of 36 Adi Kailash pilgrims at the Dharchula base camp and placed the high-altitude yatra route on high alert following heavy rains and hailstorms in the district on Monday.

Dharchula SDM Ashish Joshi said the pilgrimage was halted due to adverse weather conditions. The issuance of new inner-line passes has been suspended until the weather normalises.

With 1,700 passes issued so far, pilgrims already at higher camps are being monitored for safety, the official added.