The future of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 seems bleak amid the coronavirus outbreak. Owing to safety issues, the opening ceremony of the cash-rich tournament has been postponed to April 15. As doubts regarding the commencement of the annual events keep surfacing, the Sports Ministry has made it clear that the fate of the 13th edition of the IPL can be decided only after the government comes out with a fresh advisory after April 15.
Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said that while it is the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which decides on cricketing matters, the COVID-19 outbreak is something which has a direct effect on the lives of the citizens of the country.
"After April 15 the government will come up with new advisory and guidelines according to the situation. BCCI is a body that looks after cricket which is not an Olympic sport. But here it is not the question of the sporting event alone but a question of the safety of the citizens. In an event, there will be thousands of spectators. So it is not just for the sports bodies or sportspersons it is for every citizen of the country," he told India Today.
Originally, the tournament was set to begin from March 29, but will now it be held from April 15. The same was conveyed to the franchises.
On Wednesday, the government announced a cancellation of all visas, except for a few official categories, till April 15 in the wake of the growing scare. A meeting was held at Nirman Bhavan, Delhi where it was decided that all existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/international organisations, employment and project visas, stand suspended till April 15.
The two major concerns for the franchises will be bringing foreign players on board to play matches and see that the fans make it to the stadiums.
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