The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 has been postponed indefinitely by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after multiple players and support personnel tested positive for COVID-19.
“For the time being, the IPL has been suspended. Later, the current window will be figured out. Patel told Sportstar on Tuesday that a statement will be issued shortly.
The decision comes just days after the Kolkata Knight Riders’ spinner Varun Chakravarthy and seam bowler Sandeep Warrier tested positive for Covid-19, forcing the match between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Ahmedabad to be rescheduled.
The decision was made after Amit Mishra and Wriddhiman Saha tested positive on Tuesday, according to IPL Governing Council members. Several BCCI administrators, as well as the franchises, confirmed the news. “After much deliberation, the tournament had to be postponed for the time being,” a BCCI official said.
Two more members of the Chennai Super Kings’ IPL squad, bowling coach L Balaji and a bus cleaner, tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday. In the evening, CEO Kasi Viswanathan issued his second negative paper. Balaji and the team driver, on the other hand, remained upbeat.
As the coronavirus outbreak escalated, several Australian players left the IPL early, including Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson, who chose to follow AJ Tye around. After spending most of the last ten months going in and out of biosecure habitats, Rajasthan Royals batsman Liam Livingstone chose to return to England, citing “bubble fatigue.” Meanwhile, R. Ashwin, the India and Delhi Capitals spinner, ended his IPL season on April 25 to spend time with his family.
The BCCI is now in talks with the authorities to ensure that the overseas players’ travel is secure. “We’re in contact with the authorities to see if we can get the players back home, and we’ll make sure everybody is safe,” a BCCI official said.