Indian Premier League (IPL) is currently suspended till April 15 because of the Coronavirus threat. The future of the tournament is still not clear as the government has started to take strict steps. Even India's ODI series against South Africa was called off on Friday.
More concerning news for cricket fans as there are chances that the upcoming season of IPL may not happen at all. As per reports of Sportstar, an IPL official said the tournament may get called off if it doesn't start around April 20.
“If at all the IPL starts, it would be around April 20 but the decision will be made around April 10. If the tournament doesn’t start by April 20, it will have to be deferred till the next year,” the official said.
A decision will be taken in the first week of April based on the extent of Corona. The official added 60 matches will have to be played between April 21 to May 31, it's the last six-week window available.
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BCCI secretary Jay Shah had talked about working with the government to keep things in control. “The BCCI is concerned and sensitive about all its stakeholders, and public health in general, and it is taking all necessary steps to ensure that, all people related to IPL including fans have a safe cricketing experience,” said a statement issued by BCCI.
“The BCCI will work closely with the Government of India along with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and all other relevant Central and State Government departments in this regard.”
Big names like Shah, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, IPL governing council chairman Brijesh Patel, and the IPL global broadcaster, Uday Shankar, the Asia-Pacific head of The Walt Disney Company had a meeting.
“Besides players, most teams have foreigners in its coaching staff. Since the visa issue is unresolved, they were not so keen on starting the tournament without coaches, not just the players,” the official revealed.
There will be a meeting with the franchises on Saturday about the possible window and venues.
(WITH SPORTSTAR INPUTS)
