Legendary Sachin Tendulkar is of the opinion that the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in UAE will spread positivity amidst people by helping them take their minds off the health concerns within the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The deadly outbreak led to the postponement of IPL 2020 from the league's traditional window in April-May. However, after finding a new slot in the calendar through the deferment of ICC T20 World Cup and getting necessary government approval to take the tournament outside India, the BCCI formally announced that it will be played from September 19 to November 10 in the Middle East.
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"IPL is great news for all of us. A number of other sports have resumed, I have been watching a bit of football, F1, Test cricket in England. So it's nice that IPL will be played in the UAE," Tendulkar told India Today.
"For a change, we will be discussing other numbers, statistics we will be discussing and talking about would be the strike rates and the run rates and not about Covid-19 -- how many cases have increased today and what are the doctors projecting. Those numbers are not what one would hear. We will hear something else now."
"I know that people after having gone to work and come back after a strenuous day, they would have something else to talk about. It could be Mumbai or Bengaluru or Delhi or whichever team which is topping the table and not the cities topping the COVID table. The cases should come down," he added.
Bio-secure arrangements are being made for accommodation, travelling, training and on-field action across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah for the eight-team sixty-match tournament.
Aware that any hiccup could be detrimental in the times we live in, Tendulkar wished for the safe conduct of the entire IPL 2020.
"I am hoping and praying the cases to come down and the strike rate and the run rate and all those numbers are at the forefront," he said.
"I just feel that this is great news not only for athletes but it’s going to do a lot of good to other people where they will be able to distract their mind and some would surely have a smile on their face," Tendulkar added.
