IPL 2020: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday postponed the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 indefinitely. The IPL, scheduled to start on March 29, was earlier postponed till April 15, but with the nationwide lockdown enforced to fight the coronavirus pandemic in India extended till May 3, the cricket board has postponed the cash-rich league until further notice. The BCCI may or may not consider a September-October window and may take a call depending on the global situation.
The decision comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of the lockdown, which has been in place since March 24.
On Wednesday morning*, all the eight franchises were informed of the decision by Hemang Amin, the IPL’s chief operating officer. Amin told the franchises that, following the extension of the nationwide lockdown till May 3 by the Indian government, there was no possibility of hosting the event in the regular summer window.
The decision follows a meeting among the BCCI’s top brass over a conference call on Tuesday evening. Among those involved in the discussions were BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, secretary Jay Shah, IPL chairman Brijesh Patel, BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal, and Amin.
“Yes, the BCCI has intimated us that IPL 2020 has been postponed for the time being but they are hopeful of finding a window later this year as and when things normalize,” a veteran franchise official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had earlier ruled out the chances of holding the tournament later in the year.
“You can’t plan anything. The FTP is scheduled. It’s there and you can’t change the FTP. All around the world, cricket, and more so sports have stopped,” he had said.
The coronavirus crisis has led to several sporting events being postponed or canceled. The Tokyo Olympics, originally scheduled to be held from July this year, has been delayed by a year.
Wimbledon has been canceled, while the French Open has been postponed till later in the year.
Several cricket series has also been called off or postponed, including South Africa’s tour of India for three One-day Internationals (ODIs).
The coronavirus crisis has also cast doubt on the T20 World Cup, which is slated to start in October in Australia.
The novel coronavirus has infected over 11,000 people in India, has caused 377 deaths.
The BCCI has contributed Rs 51 crore to the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund to help fight the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
Also read: Lockdown 2.0 Guidelines Released: Check full list of relaxations
