Sourav Ganguly, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has clarified that the remaining matches of the postponed IPL 2021 could not be held in India as of now.
Owing to the damaging situation of Covid-19’s second wave in one of the World’s most densely populated countries, Ganguly said, “There are lots of organisational hazards like 14-day quarantine [before the tournament]. It can’t happen in India. This quarantine is tough to handle.”
Further relegating the fact that IPL might be played in the Window of July, where they have nothing to play after the World Test Championship Final and the five-match Test series against England, the former India skipper said, “India is supposed to go to Sri Lanka for three ODIs and five T20Is [post the WTC Final]. [It’s] Too early to say how we can find a slot to complete the IPL,” Ganguly said.
Reasoning that in hindsight anything can be said about cancellation of the league this year or it is organised in UAE like last year, the 48-year-old said, “You can say that now in hindsight that the IPL should have been called off earlier.” The Kolkata born player further went on to compare the English Premier League to IPL and the difference in which the matches were adjusted in the former after many individuals in the bio-bubble tested positive.
“The English Premier League had so many people affected. But they could reschedule the matches,” he said. “But you can’t do that with IPL. You stop it for seven days and it is done. Players go back home and then the process of quarantine starts from scratch,” added the Prince of Kolkata.
The IPL was suspended after two Kolkata Knight Riders players and a Chennai Super kings Bus driver tested positive for Covid-19 on May 3.