IPL franchises have resorted to using Whatsapp to communicate officially with players and look into their inquiries.
The future of IPL 13 is pretty uncertain at the moment. Thus, even the franchises do not have any official confirmation on whether the tournament will be played this year or not, due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
Sunrisers Hyderabad player Vijay Shankar complained a few days ago about the franchise not updating the players about the tournament.
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Now, the time has come for the franchises to answer questions and queries from its players and they have chosen the option of using WhatsApp for it.
An official of one of the franchises said, “See, you do realise that for players, it is all about going out onto the field and performing. Critics can talk about the money factor and stuff, but it is very difficult for cricketers to be sitting at home and not being sure when they will be back on the ground and if at all the IPL will happen this year. Numerous theories in the media has also not helped. So, it was decided to create a WhatsApp group so that their queries can be answered without any confusion.”
Another official supported the move saying, “Rather than listening to people on the outside and getting half-baked information, it is always better that they get the real picture. Till recently we had the youngsters checking if reports that the IPL will not happen this year are true or not. So, it is best if you have a group where you have the management, the coaching staff as well as the players all under one roof.”
The BCCI is currently looking at a window in October-November to host the IPL.
(With inputs from IANS)