IPL 2020 has been postponed indefinitely by The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Earlier, IPL had been rescheduled from March 29 to April 15. However, the country wide lockdown has been extended to May 3 by PM Narendra Modi to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. In light to this, the IPL 2020 has been postponed until the situation is under control.
PTI reported that all eight franchises had been informed of the same by BCCI.
“Yes, the BCCI has intimated us that IPL has been postponed for the time being but they are hopeful of finding a window later this year as and when things normalise,” a veteran franchise official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
The BCCI may consider a September-October event if the global situation improves. However BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had earlier emphasized on the difficulties of holding the IPL later in the year.
“You can’t plan anything. The FTP is scheduled. It’s there and you can’t change the FTP. All around the world, cricket and more so sports has stopped.”
IPL 2020 is not the only event postponed due to the novel coronavirus. The Tokyo Olympics, which were scheduled for July this year, have been delayed by a year.
The coronavirus crisis has led to several sporting events being postponed or cancelled. The Tokyo Olympics, originally scheduled to be held from July this year, has been delayed by a year. Similarly, the Wimbledon has been cancelled due to the coronavirus. Moreover, the pandemic has also put the T20 World Cup in jeopardy.