Board of Control for Cricket in India has officially suspended the Indian Premier League 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said, “Due to the evolving global health concerns regarding COVID-19 and lockdown measures implemented by the Government of India to contain the spread of the pandemic, the IPL Governing Council of the BCCI has decided that the IPL 2020 Season will be suspended till further notice.”
On April 14, the Board had informed the IPL franchises that the tournament stands “postponed indefinitely” after India extended the lockdown to combat the COVID-19 pandemic till May 3, leaving no scope for the league to take place in its designated window.
“The health and safety of the nation and everyone involved in our great sport remains our top priority and as such, the BCCI along with the Franchise Owners, Broadcaster, Sponsors and all the Stakeholders acknowledge that the IPL 2020 season will only commence when it is safe and appropriate to do so,” the statement said.
“BCCI will continue to monitor and review the situation regarding a potential start date in close partnership with all of its stakeholders and will continue to take guidance from the Government of India, State Governments and other State Regulatory bodies.”
The IPL was supposed to be held from March 29 to May 24.
However, on March 13, the BCCI announced that the league would be postponed till April 15 due to the restrictions placed on the entry of foreigners, which ruled out any international participation.
The only window for an IPL in the current year would be between September and November, provided Cricket Australia and the ICC agree to reschedule the T20 World Cup. The six-month travel restrictions in Australia end on September 30 if the situation becomes normal and the World Cup is scheduled in October-November.
The other option is to have a curtailed IPL in six weeks between September and early October, as it's highly unlikely that the Asia Cup will happen.
The pandemic has claimed 414 lives so far in the country. The number of positive cases has risen to 12,380, according to the Union health ministry. While the number of active COVID-19 cases is 10,477, as many as 1,488 people have been cured and discharged and one had migrated, the ministry said. The total number of cases include 76 foreign nationals.
