Is IPL happening this year? A question that is concerning all the cricket fans in India. The mega-tournament treats fans with high-octane cricketing action usually becomes a priority during the Indian summer. However, with uncertainties over the staging of IPL 2020, the IPL governing council is expected to meet on March 14 to discuss the fate of the upcoming season.
Due to Coronavirus, IPL hosting in India is in question due to the widespread effect of the virus that has been reported in over 100 countries globally. As a result, there have been speculations over whether IPL 2020 will be postponed or will be canceled entirely looking at the ill-effects that the virus can cause.
IPL is presently scheduled to commence on March 29 with Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. On Saturday, the IPL governing council is expected to hold a meeting to finalize the decision if IPL can proceed on its scheduled date in 2020. “We are monitoring the situation for now and will have an update once a decision is taken,” Brijesh Patel, IPL governing council chairman was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
The health advisories have made it clear that the players need to adopt certain measures in order to protect themselves from Coronavirus. While the virus can spread from huge crowd gatherings, the Indian government has put it out in open to host matches behind closed doors. The government has advised various sports bodies to adhere to the guidelines and make sure that no human life is being put in danger even due to IPL.
It will be now up to BCCI and the IPL committee to decide if they want to proceed with the league with no crowds attending the IPL matches. BCCI might also defer the staging of IPL or might cancel the league for the upcoming season. However, the later is seemingly impossible due to the involvement of a lot of stakeholders in the game.
As a result, the meeting on Saturday will be quite decisive in deciding the fate of IPL 2020. It will govern how things shape up for the rest of the Indian summer this year.