The sudden appearance of COVID-19 cases among groundstaff and event managers at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium has raised doubts ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, with the venue hosting ten games this season. Following the news, Mohammed Azharuddin, a former India captain and current president of the Hyderabad Cricket Association, has offered the Indian cricket board the HCA’s facilities. “There are all the more grounds for us to stand by each other in these tough times,” Azharuddin tweeted on Sunday. “The Hyderabad Cricket Association would like to give its facilities to the @BCCI in order to ensure that the IPL2021 is held in a safe and stable environment.”
In these difficult times there is all the more reasons for us to stand by each other. Hyderabad Cricket Association would like to offer its facilities to @BCCI to ensure that IPL2021 is conducted in safe and secure venues.
— Mohammed Azharuddin (@azharflicks) April 4, 2021
Good tests have been returned by ten members of the Wankhede groundstaff and six event managers at the venue.
On Saturday, all-rounder Axar Patel of the Delhi Capitals screened positive for COVID-19.
The BCCI is allegedly interested in retaining the Wankhede as an IPL 2021 venue, but an official told PTI that Hyderabad and Indore have been named as backup venues.
The BCCI official was cited by PTI as saying, “Hyderabad and Indore are on standby in case the situation gets out of control.”
Last year’s finalists Delhi Capitals will meet three-time champions Chennai Super Kings in the first match at the Wankhede on April 10.