IPL 2020: The much-awaited new season of the Indian Premier League, that was slated to kickstart from 29th March has been postponed to 15th April because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused widespread fear across the globe.
As a precautionary measure, the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) suspended the event till April 15. The big decision came after the Delhi Government suspended all the major sporting events happening in the capital because of the growing health crisis. In a statement, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said:
“The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to suspend IPL 2020 till 15th April 2020, as a precautionary measure against the ongoing Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) situation,”
BCCI’s President Sourav Ganguly also opened up about the suspension and said that safety is the ‘first priority’. He said:
“Let’s stick to the postponement (at the moment). First priority is safety, so we postponed the games,”
In the statement released by BCCI, they made it clear that it is ‘suspension’ and not a postponement, which means there is no clearity on whether the big event will start on April 15. Even if IPL starts on April 15, it is expected to be held within the closed doors with no spectators.
Photo by Saikat Das /SPORTZPICS for BCCI
Jay Shah further stated that BCCI is taking all measures so that fans can enjoy the safe cricketing experience. He said:
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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,”
He added:
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The BCCI will work closely with the Government of India along with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and all other relevant Central and State Government departments in this regard,”
