IPL 2020 set to be put on hold indefinitely as lockdown extension seems to be on the cards

April 12: The multi-billion dollar global sports industry is staring at unprecedented financial fallout as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Cricket is no exception. The BCCI suspended the IPL till April 15, originally scheduled from March 29 to April 15 after the government suspended all visas, barring few categories like diplomatic and employment, making it impossible for foreign players to participate. The cash-rich Indian Premier League’s 13th edition on Saturday headed towards an indefinite postponement as the country braced for a lockdown extension to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said that he will be able to give an update on the future of IPL only on Monday after speaking to the other office-bearers of BCCI.Sourav Ganguly termed the current the coronavirus crisis as ‘terrible’, saying that he has never experienced anything like this in his entire life.

One of the franchise owners, too, admitted that at this point of time, an IPL is ‘out of question’. “The safety of people comes first. Everything else can wait. We are in touch with the BCCI and we will have to take a collective decision,” the owner said.