The future of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) scheduled to start from March 29 looks gloomier with each passing day amid coronavirus threat. With the epidemic spreading at a rapid pace, the Central Government has cancelled all the visit visa until mid-April which might see the global T20 event taking place without the participation of overseas cricketers.
The novel coronavirus has been found in more than eighty countries which also includes India. More than 60 positive cases have been reported across the length and breadth of the country which has forced the Union Ministry of Health cancelling visas of foreigner till April 15th, 2020. Thus, question marks have galore around the availability of International cricketers travelling to the country for the 13th edition of the cash-rich league IPL which starts from March 29.
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“All existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/International organizations, employment and project visas, stand suspended till 15th April 2020. This will come into effect from 1200GMT on 13th March 2020 at the port of departure,” the statement from the government said.
Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not sure about whether the Central Government’s stand is applicable to the players travelling from abroad. One of the officials in the BCCI has now asked everyone to give them two more days before they reveal the concrete details.
“Please give us two days. It’s not possible to give you concrete details at the moment,” a senior official of the BCCI said as quoted by Scroll.in.
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The IPL governing council is all set to meet on March 14 where a decision on the option to hold the cash-rich league in empty stadiums could be taken. Meanwhile, amid all the fears, the Maharashtra Government has banned the selling of IPL tickets whereas Karnataka Government has denied permission to host matches and has forwarded a letter to the Central Government.
