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IPL 2020: Is the tournament going behind the doors after the Ministry word?

IPL 2020: Is the tournament going behind the doors after the Ministry word to resist the Coronavirus spread?

IPL 2020: Is it going behind doors?

Bengaluru, March 12: The IPL 2020 could go behind closed doors after the Indian Health Ministry suggested avoiding mass gathering, including crowd at sporting events, to prevent Coronavirus from spreading. The Ministry said it will not stop sporting events but they will have to maintain the guidelines issued by the Ministry.

Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Thursday (March 12) that these guidelines have been issued by a council of ministers formed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to observe the circumstances in the country following the Covid-19 outbreak.

"We are telling sports federations to comply with the guidelines issued by the Health Ministry and formulated by a group of ministers which is constituted by the Prime Minister. So, any sports body in India should ensure that these guidelines are met," he said.

The IPL 2020 is scheduled for a March 29 beginning at Mumbai and Rijiju said there is no move to stop the tournament. "We are not stopping the game. We are just telling to ensure that there is no mass gathering as precautionary step is very important for the health of the country."

The Minister said precautionary measures are very important for the health of public could not be put under danger. "That is the guideline. Health of the nation is more important than anything. If matches happen the organisers would need to put in place all infrastructure including screening machines. You cannot hold a match without that.

"We are not saying anything to stop the match. We are just saying: even if they go ahead with the match, ensure that guidelines are to be followed. People's health cannot be put into danger," said Rijiju.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Covid-19 as a pandemic on Wednesday night. The IPL Governing Council is meeting in Mumbai on Saturday (March 14) to evaluate the situation and decide the future of the IPL 2020 as cancelling, postponing or even conducting behind closed doors will have massive financial ramifications for all the stakeholders concerned.

Currently, South Africa is in India for a three-match ODI series with the first match in Dharamsala on Thursday (March 12) under rain threat and the next two matches are scheduled for March 15 at Lucknow and on March 18 at Kolkata. With the Ministry coming out with the statement, the BCCI may also mull about the conduct of these matches.

Story first published: Thursday, March 12, 2020, 16:11 [IST]
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