IPL 2021 – Can IPL 2021 still be shelved? Amid increase in Covid-19 menace all over the country, IPL 2021 stakeholders especially the franchises are gripped with fear.The Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) is adamant to start the season as scheduled – but the talks of ‘shelving or postponing the IPL 2021’ have started. Such is the situation that two of the IPL franchises InsideSport spoke to on Wednesday morning to check on their preparations – said, ’they are getting worried that season may get interrupted and shelved due to Covid-19’.
“The bio-bubble is tight but situation otherwise all over the country is getting worrisome. Though nothing has been communicated by the BCCI – but we are worried that season may get interrupted or even shelved due to Covid-19”, said one of the franchise based out of Mumbai currently.
The other franchise based out of Chennai also had the same point of view and said that 6 cities IPL in these circumstances doesn’t make any sense. The said official also went up to the extent of saying that situation is such that there’s no way of knowing yet if defending champions Mumbai Indians will face Royal Challengers Bangalore in the inaugural game at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday as still the start of the league is questionable.
“Something or the other Covid-19 cases are coming up on a daily basis involving Covid-19 stakeholders. In these circumstances 6 cities IPL is not making any sense to us. When everyone is playing behind closed doors, why not conduct the event in one single city, we are not sure if the league starts as schedued’, asked the franchise official.
InsideSport also reached out to BCCI & IPL Governing Council to check on their point of view of the situation. According to one of the IPL GC member, situation is getting tense and they are observing every development very closely.
“We are concerned about the present situation and keeping a close eye on the development. As things stands today, IPL will continue in the designated venues. We have told all the franchisees and players not to breach the bio bubble at any cost,” an IPL Governing Council member told Insidesport on condition of anonymity.
IPL 2021: Covid-19 grips IPL, can it still be shelved?
In past few days almost every stakeholder in IPL has been effected by Covid-19 in some manner or ther other.
– 10-12 Groundsmen at the Wankhede Stadium tested positive
– 10 IPL Event Managers test positive last week
– Nitish Rana (KKR), Devdutt Padikkal (RCB), Daniel Sams (RCB) & Axar Patel (DC) tested positive for IPL 2021
– 14 people tested positive at the hotel where IPL Broadcast Crew is staying in Mumbai
– CSK’s content team manager tested positive
All of these instances are making almost every stakeholder of the IPL very jittery about the season. The BCCI as always may still pull-off the IPL 2021 – but Covid-19 will surely keep everyone on toes for the next few days.
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