The cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) might not happen anytime soon. With the number of cases testing positive increasingly everyday, having a tournament of this nature may put personal safety of the citizens in jeopardy. The Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has said 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.
While the franchises and the BCCI looks inclined to host the tournament, the government has advised against it. Additional secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs Dammu Ravi has urged the sports federations to decide wisely on holding events and advised against hosting IPL.
The BCCI has already postponed the tournament and is ready to comply with every advisory to start the tournament on time. The tournament which was supposed to commence from March 29, has now been postponed to April 15.
"Think it is for the organisers to decide whether to go ahead with it or not. Our advice would be to not do it at this time but if they want to go ahead, it is their decision," Dammu Ravi, additional secretary, MEA and coordinator for COVID-19 told CricketNext.
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.
Meanwhile, earlier, doubts regarding the International Cricket Council's (ICC) forthcoming T20 World Cup 2020 had risen. But the international cricket body has announced that it will "go ahead as scheduled" despite the ongoing coronavirus crisis across the globe.
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