IPL 2021 currently stands suspended after Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals reported a COVID positive case each on Tuesday in their bio-bubble, the BCCI confirmed following an emergency meeting of the IPL Governing Council.
“The Indian Premier League Governing Council and BCCI in an emergency meeting has unanimously decided to postpone IPL 2021 season, with immediate effect. The BCCI does not want to compromise on the safety of the players, support staff and the other participants involved in organising the IPL. This decision was taken keeping the safety, health and well-being of all the stakeholders in mind. These are difficult times, especially in India and while we have tried to bring in some positivity and cheer, however, it is imperative that the tournament is now suspended and everyone goes back to their families and loved ones in these trying times. The BCCI will do everything in its powers to arrange for the secure and safe passage of all the participants in IPL 2021,” the BCCI said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.
“Star India supports BCCI’s decision to postpone IPL 2021. The health and safety of players, staff and everyone involved in the IPL are of paramount importance. We thank the BCCI, IPL Governing Council, players, franchisees and sponsors for their support. We are also indebted to our employees, on-air talent, production, and broadcast crews for trying their best to spread positivity by delivering the broadcast of IPL 2021 to millions of homes in the face of challenging circumstances,” the official broadcasters said in a statement.
SRH were slated to play defending champions Mumbai Indians in Delhi on Tuesday night.
On Monday, 2 Kolkata Knight Riders players tested positive and 3 Chennai Super Kings’ non-playing staff tested positive, as did ground staff at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
On Tuesday, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Wriddhiman Saha and Delhi Capitals’ Amit Mishra also reportedly tested positive.
The BCCI were forced to reschedule the games between KKR and RCB on Monday and RR and CSK on Wednesday as one team from both games were in quarantine.
The game between SRH and Mumbai Indians in Delhi is also set to postponed with the SRH side in quarantine.
The BCCI, on Monday evening, had put the process of moving the tournament to Mumbai after the IPL had been hit by COVID-19.
Currently, Delhi, Chennai, RCB and Mumbai make up the top 4 at the halfway stage of the tournament.
In the final week of April, Australian Adam Zampa was one of the players who exited the tournament and said that the IPL should have been held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as it was last year. Along with him, Kane Richardson (Australia and RCB), R Ashwin (India and DC), Andre Tye (Australia and RR) and Liam Livingstone (England and RR) had exited the tournament.
"I just feel like because it's India, we're always being told about the hygiene over here and being extra careful ... I just felt like it was the most vulnerable. The IPL that was held in Dubai six months ago didn't feel that way at all. I felt like that was extremely safe. Personally, I feel like that would have been a better option originally for this IPL but obviously, there's a lot of political stuff that goes into it," said Zampa.
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