Royal Challengers Bangalore will be ready if IPL 2020 happens: RCB's Director of Cricket Operations Mike Hesson

Royal Challengers Bangalore will be ready if IPL 2020 happens this year, assures Mike Hesson

Bengaluru, May 17: The ongoing lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic has forced the BCCI to suspend the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 indefinitely. Cricketers in India, as well as in the other parts of the world, are spending their days in self-isolation and hoping things to get back to normal.

The players were gearing up to join the camps of their respective franchises just when India announced a nationwide lockdown in March. The IPL 2020 which was supposed to begin from March 29 was first deferred till April 15 and later postponed indefinitely when the 'Lockdown 2.0' was imposed.

Experts, cricketers, as well as the fans, believe there's still a chance to host the IPL this year when normalcy returns. Royal Challengers Bangalore's Director of Cricket Operations, Mike Hesson, shared thoughts on his team scenario during the lockdown on Star Sports show Cricket Connected.

While talking about the Virat Kohli-led side during the lockdown, Hesson said, "We were obviously a week away from coming into camp, like everybody else, feeling well advanced in terms of our planning. Quite rightfully, everything's been put on hold and everybody is going about their work.

"There are obviously other priorities at the moment that people are focussing on. We're still really hopeful that things will evolve and there will be an IPL this year and if it happens, then I can assure you that RCB will be ready."

Hesson returned to New Zealand on April 28 after being stranded in India for over a month. The ex-New Zealand player and coach had arrived in India on March 5 for IPL 2020 but was stuck in the country after the lockdown was imposed and all flights were suspended.

He also thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the New Zealand Embassy in India, New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

To stem the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, India and New Zealand had announced lockdowns in their respective countries last month, alongside travel restrictions, forcing the 45-year-old to stay in Bengaluru.