IPL 2021 Not Canceled But Postponed According to BCCI Vice President

This year’s season of the Indian Premier League tried (IPL 2021) to stand strong even after the highest number of COVID-19 cases in a single day this year was reported in the country. Initially, the Board of Cricket Control in India assured that the league won’t be affected by the initial surge of the cases but things have already taken a turn when the month of May came in.

It was announced on the first week of May that the mid-season of the IPL VIVO 2021 that the IPL council and the BCCI have unanimously decided to postpone the rest of the season effective immediately. This is after the governing bodies participated in an emergency meeting.

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Many have seen this coming despite the initial assurance from BCCI that the league won’t be affected. Before the suspension of the league, many are already thinking that it’s crazy how the IPL is still taking place despite the situation. However, there are still fans who found comfort in the continuation of the league. They are just happy to look forward to today’s cricket match. Still, the suspension of the league seems the best thing to do at the moment.

How They Came to This Decision

The BCCI strongly hoped that this season will go on uninterrupted. They also pushed for the season to push through because it is somehow a way for the country to cope with the ongoing pandemic. Manu agreed with this but no one has predicted that late April and early May will be awful for the country.

The announcement from the BCCI came in after more players tested in the bio-bubble. Players who tested positive include Kolkata Knight Riders‘ Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Wriddhiman Saha, and Delhi Capital’s veteran player who tested positive in Ahmedabad.

Also Read: IPL 2021: BCCI looking at September window to complete remainder of the tournament

BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla talked about the council’s decision. He mentioned that a few overseas players were already in panic and are expressing that they want to leave the country. Shukla said that this decision was taken to avoid chances of any mishaps in the future. They also considered the concerns of the family members of the players.

Shukla said, “We are looking after our players, franchises are also looking after their players. We have spoken to every franchise, so not many cases are there. One or two franchises are affected so far and regular tests are being conducted. Barring these few players all the other players are negative. The situation is not that bad but we took the decision keeping the future in mind if something happens. We have decided on that prospect.

“They are scared. [The] situation in India is bad. Few players wanted to leave the country. They had spoken to their franchisees and the franchisees also confided with us, but not many players were willing to leave the country.

“But keeping that in mind, and obviously, there is a panic-like situation, if people are scared, we have to look at that aspect also and we have to take steps accordingly. So, that’s why keeping their concerns in mind, their families’ concerns in mind, we have taken this decision.”

According to the VP, the emergency meeting was held through a video conference session between the senior BCCI officials including the president, Sourav Ganguly, and Secretary Jay Shah. The members of the IPL governing council were also included. 

“BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, secretary Jay Shah, Governing Council, all office bearers did a video conference and took the call. Before that, we have talked to all the franchises and broadcasters. It was a unanimous decision,” Shukla explained.

When Will the Season Continue?

There is no official statement yet on when the IPL will be able to come back. What’s known is that there are already several England county clubs that have already expressed their interest in hosting the rest of the season. 

Sri Lanka Cricket also came into the picture and also showed interest in hosting the rest of the season. The BCCI is already trying to find a window that’s long enough to complete the remaining matches and the chief of Sri Lanka’s Cricket said that they can provide this window in September.

The BCCI has not yet commented on any of these but there are reports that the top choice remains to be the UAE. After all, last year’s season was held in that country and they should be able to find a window in September just before the T20 World Cup.