Laxman said the question about IPL rescheduling is premature at the moment.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) mentor VVS Laxman believes that the Indian cricket board (BCCI) took the “right decision” to postpone the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) mid-way after four of the eight franchises recorded COVID-19 positive cases.
With the second wave of the dangerous COVID-19 pandemic getting angrier each passing day in India, the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council were forced to postpone the IPL 2021 indefinitely and Laxman hailed the board’s decision considering everyone's safety in the challenging situation across the country.
Laxman wrote in his column for Times of India: “Unfortunate as it might appear, the right decision was taken to suspend the IPL following the breach of bio-secure bubbles of four franchises across two cities. In these unprecedented times, physical safety and mental health are of paramount importance.”
He further explained. “That even carefully structured bubbles can be breached is another lesson in our battle against the coronavirus -- to never let our guard down, even for a millisecond. We had full confidence in the protocols that had been put in place even when we moved from one city to another, but once we learned of the positive tests in the Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) camp, our apprehensions mounted.
We [SRH] had just finished a match against CSK and several of us caught up with old friends, so there was understandable anxiety and unrest until the test results were out.”
On COVID-19 infected SRH wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha, Laxman wrote: “I wish Wriddhiman Saha a full and speedy recovery. Wriddhi was slated to play Sunday’s match against Rajasthan Royals, but felt a little under the weather on Saturday night.”
He continued, “We immediately placed him in isolation and, despite our prayers, he returned a positive test. We are still wondering how, despite taking all precautions, Wriddhi got infected.”
BCCI is reportedly mulling over England, UAE, and Australia as the possible options to stage the remainder of the IPL 14 later this year, but Laxman said it's “premature” to talk about the same.
He signed off by saying, “As to when this edition of the IPL will resume, that question is premature. The first objective is health. I am sure the BCCI will take appropriate steps to identify a short window for the remaining games, be it after the World Test Championship final or before the T20 World Cup.”