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Tag: IPL 2021 postponed

  • IPL 2021 in limbo, will it get a follow-on?

    IPL 2021 in limbo, will it get a follow-on?

    KERALA: With the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 suspended indefinitely due to the devastating second wave of Covid2019, the fate of the rest of the tournament now hangs in the balance. 29 out of the 60 games have been played so far, while 31 matches still remain in the current season. 

    The decision to postpone the IPL comes at a time when a host of brands bank on the tournament for their marketing initiatives and many were already in the process of launching new promotional campaigns. 

    With the bio-secure bubble pierced by the Coronavirus, several players and support staff contracting the infection and the country in the throes of a full-fledged Covid crisis, it is anybody’s guess whether the IPL 2021 will be back for a second innings.

    Possibilities of rescheduling the IPL 

    Last year, due to the Covid outbreak, the IPL was played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with no in-stadia audience. Even though all the games were played in empty stadiums, the 2020 edition was a great success in terms of television viewership. With a total of 400 billion viewing minutes on TV, IPL 2020 clocked a substantial jump in total consumption over IPL 2019, which witnessed 326 billion viewing minutes. 

    As India is a country where cricket is considered an emotion among millions, BCCI may think to adopt the same strategy to resume the suspended 2021 edition of the league. It should be noted that June and July are monsoon months in India, and it will be practically impossible to host cricket tournaments during these months. Moreover, the possibility of a Covid third wave is also compelling the BCCI to consider other venues like the UAE. 

    “The suspension of IPL within four weeks is an indicator that it’s not really safe to host a global event of that magnitude at a time when the country is fighting its worst health crisis in the last 70 years. There is a chance of a third wave hitting the Indian shores in November. So while BCCI will remain the hosts, the tournament will probably shift to the UAE,” a top BCCI official told PTI. 

    BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla said, “We will see if we can get any suitable time for the IPL event later in the year. It may be September, but for now, it will only be speculation. The situation as of now is that we are not organising the tournament.” 

    Shukla also assured Star Sports that the tournament is not cancelled, but postponed, and made it clear that the ongoing 2021 edition will be revived when the situation improves. 

    “In due course, when the Covid situation improves, a decision will be taken about it,” he reportedly told broadcasters Star Sports.

    A possible revival of IPL 2021 will happen only after the World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand from 18 to 22 June 2021. In all probabilities, BCCI will likely wrap up the remaining 31 matches of the IPL before the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup that is expected to begin on 18 October. 

    IPL provided much-needed relief to Indian audiences.

    Even though the IPL received mixed reactions from people amid the second wave of the pandemic, industry experts strongly believed that cricket matches in the evening provided much-needed relief to Indian audiences. The TV ratings of IPL matches this year were also unabated, and some matches featuring top teams like Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) witnessed record viewership. 

    “One must also acknowledge that while it was ongoing over the last few weeks, the IPL provided three to four hours of much-needed diversion and relief to the Indian masses who are reeling under a barrage of bad news on the Covid front. Secondly, the value of any enterprise is based on its future cash earning capacity. To our mind, while there will be some revenue loss this year, the future revenue generation ability of the IPL is undiminished,” said Duff & Phelps MD & head – valuation advisory APAC Varun Gupta. 

    Australian players stranded in India

    Meanwhile, Cricket Australia (CA) has made it clear that it will not seek exemption from a government-imposed travel ban for flights from India. It was around a few days back that the Australian government temporarily barred its citizens from entering the country if they happened to be in India within 14 days of their scheduled arrival. 

    “CA and the ACA respect the decision of the Australian Government to pause travel from India until at least May 15 and will not seek exemptions,” said CA and Australian Cricketers’ Association in a joint statement. 

    However, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said that they will make all necessary arrangements to expedite all players safely from India. 

     

     

  • From IPL to Euro 2020: 5 major sports events suspended due to Covid

    From IPL to Euro 2020: 5 major sports events suspended due to Covid

    KERALA: When the first positive case of coronavirus infection was reported in Wuhan, China in late 2019, no medical expert in the world thought that this infectious disease will emerge as a global pandemic. And now, when the second wave of Covid2019 is wreaking havoc in several countries like India, difficult decisions have been made even in the world of sports. Several major sporting events have been cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic, and the recent addition to this list is the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. 

    Indiantelevision.com presents to you a list of five major sporting events that were called off or rescheduled due to Coronavirus scare. 

    Indian Premier League 2021

    It was on 9 April that the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 began in an empty gallery without any spectators. The decision to host the tournament had been met with criticism from certain corners, as it came at a time when India is battling the second wave of Covid. 

    However, the ongoing season of the IPL was postponed less than a month after its grand opening due to the bio-secure bubble being invaded by the coronavirus. Within the last few days, two players of Kolkata Knight Riders, two Chennai Super Kings coaches and one player each from Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals tested Covid positive. 

    “The Indian Premier League Governing Council and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in an emergency meeting has unanimously decided to postpone IPL 2021 season, with immediate effect. The BCCI does not want to compromise on the safety of the players, support staff, and the other participants involved in organising the IPL. This decision was taken keeping the safety, health, and well-being of all the stakeholders in mind,” said the BCCI, after suspending the ongoing event. 

    BCCI also added that the league will be rescheduled to another date this year. However, it is still unclear whether the event will be played in India or another country. Last year, due to the raging pandemic, the IPL took place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) September onwards. 

    Tokyo Olympics 2020

    The 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics were scheduled to take place in Tokyo, beginning 24 July 2020. However, due to the Covid2019 outbreak, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was compelled to postpone the event. The decision to call off the feted event for a year was made when countries like Canada, Australia, and Great Britain announced that they would withdraw from the Olympics unless the event was postponed. 

    According to the latest updates, the IOC plans to host the opening ceremony on 23 July 2021. On 20 March, citing travel restrictions and the safety of athletes, it was announced that there will be no spectators for the upcoming Olympics. However, it is still unclear whether the event will actually take place, considering the second wave of the virus currently holding sway in several countries. 

    UEFA Euro 2020 and dilemma surrounding Copa America

    The UEFA Euro 2020 championship was originally scheduled to take place from 12 June to 12 July 2020. However, the pandemic turned things upside down, and the tournament was rescheduled to take place a year later, from 11 June to 11 July 2021.

    The South American Football Federation’s well-laid plans to host the Copa America 2020 from 12 June to 12 July 2020 were also dashed because of Covid, and the organisers were forced to postpone it to 2021. 

    Copa America will now take place in Colombia and Argentina from 13 June to 10 July 2021. However, several industry experts believe that the tournament may not go as per plans, especially considering the rapid surge of Covid cases in countries like Brazil. 

    Hero I-league 2020-2021

    When it comes to football in India, the Indian Super League (ISL) 2021 matches were conducted in an empty stadium in Goa. 

    However, organisers were compelled to postpone the I-League midway with 23 matches left. They had no choice but to declare Mohun Bagan as the champions of the season, as the second-placed team could not catch up even if all 20 games were played. 

    Wimbledon 2020

    One of the Tennis Grand Slams, Wimbledon 2020 was also postponed due to the coronavirus scare. This was the first time the championship, held every year in England, was deferred since World War II. As the 2020 tournament did not go as per plans, organisers have decided to host the tournament from 28 June to 11 July 2021.