The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been suspended indefinitely by BCCI a day after several people in the biosecurity bubble tested positive for coronavirus, confirms league president Brijesh Patel.
India’s Cricket Board of Control (BCCI) vice-chairman Rajeev Shukla said that after speaking with everyone involved, including franchises and broadcasters, all public officials and councilors had jointly decided that the IPL should be suspended for the time being.
UPDATE: The Indian Premier League Governing Council (IPL GC) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in an emergency meeting has unanimously decided to postpone IPL 2021 season with immediate effect.
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— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 4, 2021
“The Governing Council of the Indian Premier League (IPL GC) and the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) have unanimously decided in an emergency meeting to postpone the IPL 2021 season with immediate effect”, according to a statement from the BCCI.
“The BCCI does not want to endanger the safety of players, support staff, and other participants involved in organizing the IPL. This decision was made with the safety, health, and wellbeing of all concerned in mind,” he added.
The BCCI said these were ‘difficult times’ for India and that the board had decided to suspend the tournament and send everyone back to their families and loved ones.
The latest cricketer to test positive for the virus is Wriddhiman Saha of Sunrisers Hyderabad, who tested positive on Tuesday morning.
This makes Hyderabad the third IPL franchise company to report coronavirus cases.
Kolkata Knight Riders players Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier, Delhi Capitals (DC) Amit Mishra, and now Wriddhiman Saha from SRH have all tested positive for the virus in the past few days.
Two employees from the Chennai Super Kings support team had also previously tested positive for the virus.
Covid hits IPL 2021: KKR-RCB match postponed after two players tested positive
After several players and support staff tested positive for the virus on Monday, the game between KKR and Royal Challengers Bangalore was postponed.
Indian media reports had claimed Chakravarthy caught the virus when he recently came out of the biosecurity bubble for a shoulder scan.
According to the team management report, the other KKR players, with the exception of Chakravarthy and Warrier, tested negative for the virus.
Chennai Super Kings employees who tested positive for the virus include CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan, bowling trainer Lakshmipathy Balaji and a bus cleaner. The franchise or IPL has not yet issued a statement on the matter.
This is the first incidence of players within the IPL biosecurity bubble who have tested positive for the virus since the 2021 season began a few months earlier.
KKRs are placed seventh in the IPL points table. The team last played against the Delhi Capitals in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
