IPL trophy. COURTESY
The Board of Control for Cricket in India president, Sourav Ganguly, has confirmed that the Indian Premier League 2021 will proceed as scheduled notwithstanding the weekend lockdown imposed in Maharashtra by the government in wake of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
From Friday 8pm to Monday 7am the state will be in lockdown, only essential services, and transportation including buses, trains, and taxis will be allowed. Wankhede Stadium will host 10 matches this season from April 10 to 25. However, the former India captain has assured the tournament will continue as planned. State cabinet minister Nawab Malik announced the lockdown, but he, too, confirmed that the permission for conducting the IPL matches has been given, provided the players follow the protocols; most of the players have already entered the bio-bubble for the tournament which commences on 9th April.
He also revealed that the BCCI has requested for vaccination of the players. Three players Nitish Rana (Kolkata Knight Riders), Axar Patel (Delhi Capitals), and Devdutt Padikkal (Royal Challengers Bangalore) have tested positive for the virus. All three were isolated, with Rana now cleared after returning subsequent negative tests. Apart from the three players, a member of the Chennai Super Kings’ content team has also tested positive and was consequently put in quarantine. A report also emerged stating that eight ground staff members at the Wankhede had contracted the virus; two have tested negative later.
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