IPL 2020: What Will Happen If More Teams Get Infected
Holding an extreme view and carting the ball out of the park is what interests him most. He is a hard hitter at all times. Fasten your seatbelts and read.
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By Slogger
First publised on 2020-08-29 08:38:10
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Holding an extreme view and carting the ball out of the park is what interests him most. He is a hard hitter at all times. Fasten your seatbelts and read.
View all posts by this Author
There are confirmed reports of at least one player and more than 10 members of the support staff testing positive for coronavirus in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp in the UAE. The entire team has been placed under quarantine. This has put a cloud over their practice sessions which were to begin from Monday after a fourth Covid test.
It also shows how difficult it is to hold a mega event involving thousands of players and support staff, even without involving the paying public in stadiums, during the pandemic. Holding the IPL during these times was always going to be a challenging task. But given the fact that all 8 teams were to have their own bio-bubbles, observers felt that things would proceed smoothly. The CSK incident shows that it is not as easy as it looks.
Since most carries of coronavirus remain asymptomatic for long periods, it is very difficult to determine who is a carrier. When teams have so many people working together, this problem gets magnified many times. Since all of them have come from different places, the risk is very high. Although the IPL managing committee has put in place all health protocols, including regular testing, it will be an uphill task to conduct the tournament as anyone can test positive anytime and throw the planning out of gear.
With the CSK practice schedule disturbed, it is not sure how the team will move ahead in the tournament. It is also not clear whether the IPL management will allow them to continue with those who tested positive or others who might test positive in the future or replace them. The same goes for all the other teams who might find positive people in their ranks.
For the BCCI and all the stakeholders, the stakes are high. They have set the ball rolling with the hiring of stadiums, hotels and putting in place all other logistics. Sponsorships have been inked and advertisers have been allotted air-time. If the virus strikes more teams and if the tournament is forced to be called-off, it will be a disaster.
