IPL is all set be postponed, said franchise owner
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|| CF Correspondent ||
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has informed the franchises that the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League stands postponed indefinitely.
According to a PTI report the development, which hasn't been announced officially, comes in the wake of an address to the nation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who on Tuesday (April 14) announced that the lockdown measures to combat the COVID-19 threat will remain until May 3.
"Yes, the BCCI has intimated us that IPL has been postponed for the time being but they are hopeful of finding a window later this year as and when things normalise," a veteran franchise official was quoted as saying by PTI.
The tournament was originally scheduled to begin on March 29 at the Wankhede, with the finalists of the 2019 edition, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings set to face off against each other. Due to the nationwide lockdown, there was speculation about making the IPL a closed-door event (to be played in empty stadiums and televised), before the start date was officially deferred to April 15.
Most of the cricket calendar around the world has shut down due to the ongoing pandemic. All international cricket has been either suspended or canceled. England have pushed back the start of their season until at least May 28. The BCCI were forced to call off the series against South Africa in March, and the situation has only worsened since then.
As on April 14, the official number of coronavirus affected cases in India was in excess of 10,000, with the country registering 350-plus deaths. The Indian Prime Minister said that strict lockdown will be enforced, at least until April 20, with the possibility of relaxing curbs after this date in areas where the situation is under control.
The decision to postpone the IPL was discussed by the BCCI's top brass including Sourav Ganguly (president), Jay Shah (secretary), Brijesh Patel (IPL chairman) over a conference call on Tuesday evening. Also part of the call were Arun Dhumal (BCCI treasurer) and Hemang Amin (IPL chief operating officer).
It is understood that BCCI will formally announce their decision after convening a meeting of the IPL Governing Council this week.
This is the second time the BCCI has been forced to defer the IPL. Last month, after the Indian government had put the country in a three-week lockdown, the board pushed the start date of the tournament back to April 15.
