”We are Monitoring the Situation” – BCCI Still Not Sure About IPL 2020

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sources revealed that the Board has not taken any decision yet on the fate of the 13th Edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020).

The nation has come to a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus cases in India rose to 1077 with 29 deaths. To curb this deadly virus, the government has announced a lockdown of 21 days in the country till April 14.?

The IPL 2020 was scheduled to start on March 29,2020. However, BCCI had postponed the tournament to April 15 after the government denied issuing visas to the foreign players.?

With the threat of coronavirus, chances of the BCCI conducting the league this year looks grim. Though the Board is yet to take any decision on the same.?

A source close to BCCI told, ?No decision has been taken on IPL yet, we are closely monitoring the situation, and we will take a call accordingly.?

The board has also released an official statement stating that it will abide by the guidelines of the Indian sports ministry. Also, it will take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of players and fans.

The statement read, ?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.?

IPL 2020 can shift to next year

Amid the speculations, it is expected that BCCI can shift the IPL 2020 to next year. This also means that there would be no mega auction in 2021. Instead, the auction can shift to 2022.?

However, there is no official confirmation regarding the same by BCCI.?

India is a developing country therefore it needs financial aid to fight the virus.?Therefore, the government has started the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund where citizens can donate to support the country.

The richest cricket board in the world also extended its support to the country by donating a handsome amount of money. BCCI donated Rs 51 crore towards the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.?

Many cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, and Yuvraj Singh have also pledged support to the relief funds to fight this deadly virus.?