Maharashtra Sports Minister Sunil Kedar on Saturday said he is hopeful that crowds would be allowed for the IPL matches that are set to take place in Maharashtra, starting from March 26.
The league matches of the upcoming edition of the cash-rich tournament will be held across four venues – iconic Wankhede Stadium, Cricket Club of India (Brabourne Stadium), DY Patil Stadium and Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium at Gahunje in Pune.
“I’m hoping that with the way COVID-19 cases are decreasing day by day, we’ll be able to have a free lunch” (atmosphere). “We expect that when the IPL matches take place, the atmosphere will be such that everyone will be allowed to visit the stadiums,” Kedar said at a news conference.It will give gamers a lift and provide an occasion for people to meet together. We can hope (for that) because people have been sitting in their homes for one and a half to two years.”
Wankhede and DY Patil will hold 20 games apiece, while Brabourne and Gahunje Stadium will host 15 matches each.All of the (league) matches will be staged in Maharashtra, in Pune and Mumbai, which is fortunate for us. I am grateful to the BCCI as the state’s Sports Minister. We’ll work out the barriers and limits, as well as how many people will be permitted to watch the games there, in accordance with international laws,” Kedar said.Aaditya Thackeray, Kedar’s ministry colleague and Maharashtra Minister, had visited the Wankhede stadium earlier in the day to inspect the preparations.
Spectators would be permitted according to Maharashtra government norms, with a cap of 40% initially “According to a reliable source,
“If the COVID situation remains under control and cases drop, the business end could be packed.””