IPL CANCELLED AMIDST COVID THREAT TO STAR PLAYERS
One of the world’s most celebrated sports league, IPL is crickets most celebrated league with lot of fanfare and professional cricket. This year the 14th season of the IPL was planned between April 9th to 30th may 2021 across six different venues in INDIA i.e. AHEMDABAD, DELHI, BANGLURU, MUMBAI, CHENNAI and KOLKOTTA.
Last year the tournament was held amid COVID conditions at the UAE venues and was successfully hosted ,this year too it was the utmost challenge of the world’s richest cricket board hosting the IPL with the best possible COVID protocol as it risked many international players from different cricket playing nations. Though looking at the wide spread of the COVID in INDIA, it was itself a task to host the tournament ,right from the beginning it was in the news and there was lot of criticism on the social media platforms of the BOARD of CRICKET CONTROL IN INDIA [BCCI] for announcing the flag on to the IPL. The hastag #cancelipl trended on the twitter
Amid COVID protocols it was decided to undergo the tournament in a BIO BUBBLE created for the teams and the organizing committee. There was a bubble burst when two of the players of KKR [KOLKOTTA KNIGHT RIDERS] TEAM were tested positive. Although no other players of the team were found to be positive as the entire team was tested for the RTPCR and reported negative.
unlike last year , this year too the secondary arrangements for IPL were staged at UAE, however there were no official confirmations on the revised schedule or whether the tournament will be continued at a new venue.
With courtesy –As cited by Reuters in its news brief…..
“Varun Chakaravarthy and Sandeep Warrier were found to be positive in the third round of testing in the last four days,” the league said in a statement.
“All other team members have tested negative for COVID-19.”
Local media reported that spinner Chakaravarthy had left the bio-bubble for a shoulder scan after which the positive cases were reported.
“…Kolkata Knight Riders have now moved towards a daily testing routine to identify any other possible cases and treat them at the earliest,” the league said, adding that KKR’s medical team was also tracing close contacts of the players.
Three non-playing members of the Chennai Super Kings were also reported to have tested positive on Sunday, by ESPNcricinfo. Chennai officials were not immediately available to confirm.
IPL chairman Brijesh Patel did not respond to requests for comment on what the breaches meant for the tournament, but a member of the league’s governing council said there was no threat of the IPL being called off.
“We’re investigating how the infection happened but we have full confidence in the bio-bubble arrangements. It’s totally secure,” the member told Reuters by telephone requesting anonymity.
A senior Indian cricket board official told Reuters last week that the league would continue as planned, because the matches were providing solace and entertainment to people and helping to keep them indoors.
The IPL attracts players from all over the world, with some of the biggest names in cricket from Australia, New Zealand, West Indies, England and South Africa, among others, signing up each year.
Courtesy –sportstar.-Amol kharadkar
We have suspended IPL for now and a new window will be worked out and a statement will follow soon were the first comments –of Mr.Patel. In an advisory the BCCI stated that IPLGC-Indian premier league governing council and the 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 wellbeing 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 statement read.
The decision comes close on the heels of Monday’s IPL 2021 match between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Ahmedabad being rescheduled after the Knight Riders’ spinner Varun Chakravarthy and seam bowler Sandeep Warrier tested positive for Covid-19.
According to IPL Governing Council members, the decision was taken after Amit Mishra and Wriddhiman Saha too tested positive on Tuesday. Multiple BCCI officials and the franchises too confirmed the development. “After much deliberation, it was decided that the tournament had to be suspended for now,” a BCCI official said.
On Monday, two members of the Chennai Super Kings’ IPL contingent too – bowling coach L Balaji, and a bus cleaner – had tested positive for Covid-19. CEO Kasi Viswanathan’s second report came negative in the evening. However, Balaji and the team driver continued to be positive.
UNDERSTANDING THE BIO BUBBLE
What exactly is BIO BUBBLE; well most of the people have been asking the details of the term. well BIO bubble is just creating a restricted, secure environment for the teams to play several matches at particular venues which are safe, limited people concerned with organizing committee and strict screening of the inward and outward movement. Bio Bubble is created to minimize the risk of COVID spread to the players, the environment is protected to limited numbers and no one is allowed to break the SOP issued by the organizing committee, however there were doubts on whether the WAGS [term used for wife’s and girlfriends ] would be allowed during the matches, which wasn’t mentioned in IPLGC SOP’s until then.
