Mumbai: Amidst a rise in the number of coronavirus positive cases in India and after Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope confirmed that discussions on the postponement of the Indian Premier League are ongoing, the BCCI confirmed that the IPL will be held as per schedule.
According to a report by India Today, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly, in response to a query on the IPL said that the event will be held as scheduled, adding that the BCCI is taking all “protection” against the deadly coronavirus.
This was confirmed by a senior BCCI official, who said that the board will issue the precautionary guidelines recommended by the government to all the stakeholders including players, franchises, airlines, team hotels, broadcast crews and everyone else involved in the execution of the tournament.
Reportedly, the board is likely to instruct the players not to shake hands with fans or even take pictures with devices that do not belong to them.
It can be recalled that on Monday, March 9, Health Minister Rajesh Tope told reporters that at events like the IPL, where people gather in large numbers, there is always a danger of the spread of the disease. As these events can be organised later, discussions are being held about whether the IPL should be postponed.
A statement released by the Maharashtra Health Ministry on Monday read, “15 people are under observation while 258 have been discharged. Not a single person has been found positive for coronavirus infection in the state, as of now.”
As on Monday, 42 people have tested positive for covid-19.
