With the Maharashtra government implementing lockdown on weekends, the first question that comes to mind is how would the teams travel to the Wankhede Stadium for the Indian Premier League 2021 games. But the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has said it won’t affect the hosting of the games.
The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) is in a damage control mode with at least two players and officials associated with the Indian Premier League getting positive for COVID-19. According to senior BCCI officials, talks are going on with the Ministry of Health to get cricketers vaccinated on priority.
This comes after Axar Patel, left-arm spinner for Delhi Capitals and Devdutt Padikal of Royal Challengers Bangalore tested positive. Ground staff members at Mumbai’s Wankhade stadium, members of an event management company, and an executive of a franchisee have also reportedly contracted the infection.
Rajeev Shukla: BCCI Will Definitely Get In Touch With The Ministry That Players Should Be Vaccinated
Vice President Rajeev Shukla saying that the board will get in touch with the Health Ministry for players’ vaccination.
“To cope with this coronavirus rise, I think the only solution is to get vaccinated. BCCI is also thinking on those lines that players should be vaccinated. Nobody knows when coronavirus is going to end and you can’t give a deadline that by this time frame, it will not be there so players can play easily. So, I think now will have to think over that. Vaccination should be done for the players also,” Shukla told ANI.
Earlier on Saturday, ANI reported that the IPL Governing Council (GC) is thinking of shifting the Mumbai matches to some other venue, with Hyderabad and Indore on standby amid the daily spike in the coronavirus cases in Maharashtra.
But there is no time to change the schedule with the league starting on April 9. Four franchises- Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals have set up their base in Mumbai as of now. With cases rising in the state of Maharashtra, IPL franchises have started feeling a little wary and are keeping their fingers crossed with the 14th edition of the league.
