There have been certain doubts regarding the commencement of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, things are went from bad to worse now as the Sports Ministry has made it clear that the fate of one of the most followed T20 cricket league’s in the world can be decided only after the government comes out with a fresh advisory after April 15. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju issued the statement keeping in mind the situation with regards to the coronavirus outbreak sweeping all across the globe.
Rijiju asserted that while it is the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which decides on cricketing matters, the pandemic is something that has a direct effect on the love of the citizens of the country.
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The Sports Minister said, “After April 15 the government will come up with new advisory and guidelines according to the situation. BCCI is a body that looks after cricket which is not an Olympic sport. But here it is not the question of the sporting event alone but a question of the safety of the citizens. In an event, there will be thousands of spectators. So it is not just for the sports bodies or sportspersons it is for every citizen of the country.”
The BCCI earlier has suspended the 13th edition of IPL till April 15 even though the tournament was set to start from March 29 after the government issued a travel advisory clarified that foreign players wouldn’t be issued visas to come into the country. This was decided in a meeting on March 11.
The Sports Ministry on March 12 also went on to clarify that all the sporting events across the nation in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. And if it is unavoidable, the events should be held behind closed doors so as to avoid mass gatherings.
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The Delhi government went a step further and bared from hosting any IPL match in the national capital till March 31.
BCCI President Sourav Ganguly also informed the media after the meeting with IPL franchise owners last Saturday in Mumbai that all calls would be taken keeping in mind the advisory from the government.
