The coronavirus outbreak saw the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) postponing the start of IPL 2020 to April 15 and given the present situation in the country, the T20 league will not start next week. Players are also sweating over the league’s future. In fact, neither the board nor the franchise has communicated to them regarding the future of the tournament.
Talking to Indian Express online, India and Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Sandeep Sharma revealed that they (players) haven’t received any communication yet. “We have received no communication from the BCCI or the franchise about when IPL will take place. The last communication was about the postponement of the IPL till April 14,” he said.
This is probably due to the fact that neither the board nor the franchises know when the outbreak will end. The board was to conduct a conference call with IPL franchises last month but it was also delayed after the 21-day lockdown announcement. The lockdown ends on April 14 but it is likely to be extended for a couple of weeks.
Speaking about the impact that the break might have on the game, Sandeep said that it will affect both batsmen and bowlers. “The month-long break will not only affect the game of a bowler, but batsmen will also struggle to get back their touch. Now the challenge after the lockdown would be to get into shape and get ample match practice,” he said.
The Punjab-pacer is a member of Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL.
