Highlights:
- The 14th edition of IPL is hanging by a thread as multiple franchises have bio-bubble breaches
- Several members of KKR and CSK have tested positive for COVID-19
The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League has hit the rocks after several members of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as well as the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchises tested positive for the deadly COVID-19.
According to the schedule of IPL 2021, the Match 30 of IPL 2021 between KKR and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) was originally slated to be played on Monday, May 3 but was with immediate effect after KKR players Sandeep Warrier and Varun Chakravarthy tested positive for COVID-19.
According to reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to reschedule the KKR vs RCB game which was postponed.
Additionally, 3 members of CSK which include the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the franchise Kasi Viswanathan, bowling coach Lakshimpathy Balaji and a bus cleaner designated for the team had also tested positive for the virus. The aforementioned developments have put the future of the tournament in jeopardy.
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After the KKR vs RCB game was postponed, fans have been left wondering, if “IPL 2021 will be postponed?”
Answering the question of whether IPL 2020 will be postponed? The answer is NO!
IPL 20201 is not going to be postponed as of now. As per the report from ESPNcricinfo, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly is looking to relocate IPL 2021 to Mumbai to curtail the risks after multiple coronavirus cases were reported from both venues i.e. Ahmedabad and Delhi currently hosting the cash-rich tournament.
If the plan sees the light of the day, Mumbai could start hosting matches from the upcoming weekend.
However, the biggest challenge for the BCCI board left by Sourav Ganguly will be to create an entirely new and safe bio-bubble which will include finding the hotels for the 8 IPL franchises for their accommodations as well as preparing the stadiums for the games.
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Luckily, the 3 main grounds of Mumbai – Wankhede Stadium, DY Patil Stadium and Brabourne Stadium – were all used for IPL 2021 and are already match-ready. While the Wankhede Stadium hosted 10 IPL 2021 matches, DY Patil Stadium and Brabourne Stadium were used for training purposes ahead of the start of the tournament.
The location change will also to the reorganisation of IPL 2021 schedule with several doubleheaders. There will also a possibility of the IPL final being moved from May 30 to the first week of June.
If the IPL final is moved, the schedule of the WTC final that is scheduled to be played from 18th of June to 22nd of June in Southampton could also be affected.
Recently, United Kingdom blocked travel from India which is the reason the International Cricket Council (ICC) is currently negotiating the quarantine rules as well as the exemptions with the British government for the Indian and New Zealand players who are currently playing in the Indian Premier League.
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