With the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL2021) just a week away, there has been a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases across the country. Some of the players like Akshar Patel and Devdutt Padikkal had tested positive for coronavirus and are currently in isolation.

Thus, the BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla on Sunday said that the board will get in touch with the Health Ministry to get the players participating in IPL 2021 vaccinated.

IPL 2021: RCB batsman Devdutt Padikkal tests positive for COVID-19 ahead of the tournament

“In order to cope with this coronavirus rise, I think the only solution is to get vaccinated. BCCI is also thinking on those lines that players should be vaccinated,” he said.

Shukla then told ANI that nobody knows when the pandemic will be over as he said, “Nobody knows when coronavirus is going to end and you can't give a deadline that by this time frame, it will not be there so players can play easily. So, I think, now we will have to think over that. Vaccination should be done for the players also.”

The tournament is scheduled to begin on Friday (9 April) as the defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will be taking the field against Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at M.A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

(With ANI inputs)