IPL 2020: Sourav Ganguly hints at postponement of tournament as coronavirus lockdown likely to be extended

New Delhi, April 12: Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has hinted at the postponement of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 due to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic.

The country is in a complete shutdown until April 14 due to the pandemic has not shown any visible signs of flattening as several sporting events have been either cancelled or postponed. The IPL was deferred till April 15 due to the pandemic but it seems the lockdown is likely to be extended. In that context, Ganguly has claimed that the situation is not favourable for any sporting event, let alone IPL.

"We keep monitoring developments. At the present moment, we can't say anything. And what is there to say anyway? Airports are shut, people are stuck at home, offices are locked down, nobody can go anywhere. And it seems this is how it's going to be till the middle of May. Where will you get players from, where do players travel? It's just simple common sense that at the moment, nothing is in favour of any kind of sport anywhere in the world, forget IPL," Ganguly was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express.

The former India captain, Ganguly, has hinted that the tournament in all probability will be deferred to a new date and an official announcement can be expected after he has a final discussion with all stakeholders of the board.

"I will be able to give an update on that on Monday after speaking to the other office-bearers (of BCCI). But practically speaking, when life has come to a standstill everywhere in the world, where does sport have a future in this," Ganguly added.

Another impediment in the conduct of IPL 2020 is the visa regulations in place due to the pandemic as the India Government has stopped issuing travel permits to foreigners until April 15.

India has, so far, reported 8,000-plus positive cases of the novel coronavirus. The board at this stage might not be willing to announce outright cancellation because of the stakes involved and they are also actively thinking of a window later this year.

"These are tough and uncertain times. We have heard that the Prime Minister may address the nation this weekend and we are facing the possibility of a lockdown extension. We don't know, at this stage, what's in the mind of the Central Government and we will have to wait to find out for how many days they might extend the lockdown if at all they take that route. So, there will be a call on the IPL (2020) very soon," a BCCI official told MyKhel.

"The powers that be may not call for outright cancellation at this stage as there is that slim hope of finding a window later this year between July and September, depends on the pandemic condition. So, the governing body might look for a shortened IPL with more doubleheaders in that window but having said that the public health is far more important than anything else at this stage and we are mindful of it," the official further said.

Several cricketers like Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra, Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar have supported the decision of postponing the IPL's 13th edition in view of the global health conditions.