IPL 2020 in serious doubt after India’s coronavirus lockdown as one franchise official admits prep work has stopped
CRICKET bosses have no idea whether the 2020 Indian Premier League will be staged this year, according to reports. The T20 showpiece was due to begin on March 29 before the coronavirus crisis pushed that date back to April 15. ⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates But India has […]
CRICKET bosses have no idea whether the 2020 Indian Premier League will be staged this year, according to reports.
The T20 showpiece was due to begin on March 29 before the coronavirus crisis pushed that date back to April 15.
Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
But India has since been placed into a complete lockdown for 21 days by prime minister Narendra Modi to battle the spread of the deadly virus.
IPL franchises were set for a conference call this week to discuss the tournament but that was called off.
And Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials are yet to make a decision on whether the 2020 tournament can be staged.
A senior BCCI source told Indian outlet ANI: “IPL is already postponed till April 15 and we are watching the situation very closely. We will see how the situation develops and will take a decision accordingly.
“Currently, we are not thinking about all those things. Let these things settle down and only then can we start working on it. Until April 15, we will wait and watch.”
India’s 21-day lockdown is due to end on April 14 – the day before the tournament’s revised opening fixture.
And that means that all preparation work seems to have stopped, making it highly unlikely that there will be cricket on April 15.
A top franchise official told Hindustan Times: “We are not even discussing IPL right now. It will be premature to say anything but hosting the IPL this year looks a bit difficult.”
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One option that had been reported in India was that the tournament could be delayed and played later in the summer.
But, in an exclusive interview with Press Trust of India, BCCI president Ganguly said: “You can’t plan anything. The Future Tours Programme is scheduled. It’s there and you can’t change the FTP. All around the world, cricket and more so sports has stopped.”