IPL 2020 Postponed | India Tackles Coronavirus

IPL 2020 becomes the latest victim of the coronavirus. The mega annual event secheduled to take place on March 29^th has been deferred till April 15^th. While this is sad news for cricket fans, the entire country has finally realised the threat of the coronavirus.

As per the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), this is a “precautionary measure” being taken to combat the pandemic that has paralysed most of the world. The statement by BCCI comes hot on the heels of the statement released by the Delhi government who are adamant that it will not allow any sporting activity in the national capital due to the health crisis.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had made the statement banning the gathering of over 200 people at sporting events at conferences. The ban will remain in place till further notice.

India’s Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Kiren Rijiju had the following to say regarding the ban” All international events in India have been cancelled. But we are telling sports federations, we are telling all to comply with the guidelines issued by the Health Ministry. So any sports body in India should ensure [the guidelines are followed].”

Rijiju was asked specifically about the IPL and came back with the following response ” We are not stopping the game. We are just telling [the IPL] to ensure that there is no mass gathering. Precautionary steps are very important for the health of the country.”

Given how packed the stadiums can get for IPL, Rijiju wants the organisers of the mega event to ensure the safety of the fans and players alike.

“If matches happen the organisers would need to put in place all infrastructure including screening machines. You cannot hold a match without that. We are not saying anything to stop the match. We are just saying: even if they go ahead with the match, ensure that guidelines are followed. People’s health cannot be put into danger.” added Rijiju

The BCCI released the following official statement “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.

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,” the statement added.

At present India has declared 70 cases of coronavirus which experts believe is just the beginning of what is being deemed as a global crisis. The government has taken further measures by suspending visas barring a few categories to combat this threat.

The team at CricketBettingPro would like to urge all Indians to take the necessary precautions when battling this virus. We need to stand together as a nation to ensure we defeat this pandemic and can return to our normal lives as soon as possible.