IPL 2020: Jos Buttler Hopeful Of Shortened Season

England cricketers look ecstatic to play the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 amid the novel coronavirus scare. After opener Tom Banton and premier all-rounder Ben Stokes confirmed their availability for the lucrative tournament, wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler is hopeful for a shortened season.

The IPL 2020 was originally slated to get underway from March 29 but as a precautionary measure it has been deferred to April 15. With India being in lockdown for 21 days, and the count of positive cases going above 650, the tournament can further get truncated or called off the the widespread of the disease.

Hopefully some of the IPL can go ahead: Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler thinks there is a high chance the tournament can get called off due to the situation, but given the fact that it is a massive affair, he wants some part of it to get underway.

“No news at the moment. We saw, initially, that it was going to be postponed. It’s very hard to see this changing in the immediate future, so I don’t see that as a possibility at the moment,” Buttler said in a Skysports podcast. “Obviously, it’s such a massive tournament for world cricket, so hopefully some of it can go ahead — perhaps a shortened tournament.”

Ben Stokes confirmed his availability for IPL 2020

Earlier, premier England all-rounder Ben Stokes has confirmed his availability for IPL 2020. Though Stokes ha confirmed his availability, the clouds of uncertainty still hover over the lucrative tournament, as it can well be called off after a 21-day lockdown was imposed on the country.

Ben Stokes, who was brought by Rajasthan Royals, ahead of the previous edition said that the IPL will be the next tournament he will be participating in. Before Stokes, England opener Tom Banton had confirmed his presence for the tournament. Banton will ply his trade for Kolkata Knight Riders.