Sanjay Manjrekar Explains Why IPL Should Take Place This Year

Former India cricketer and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar, on Friday, spoke on why conducting the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year is important. The thirteenth edition of the IPL was scheduled to start on March 29 in Mumbai. But around a fortnight ago, the BCCI suspended the league till April 15 in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Given the situation right now, the chances of IPL starting any time soon is looking very bleak. So far, more than 1,100,000 have been infected by the virus while over 58,000 people have lost their lives worldwide. As far as India are concerned, the cases are increasing with each passing day and the positive cases are almost 3,000.

The entire country is currently on a 21-day lockdown and hosting an event like the IPL seems near impossible at the moment. However, Sanjay Manjrekar believes IPL is not just about the franchises or the players but it is responsible for the livelihoods of many others and thus it should be held this year.

“The moment we get clearances from all the authorities that matter, the IPL should happen, only because it will kick start the economy because when you talk about the IPL it’s not just about the Mumbai Indians, or a Dhoni or a Virat Kohli, there are a lot of people who are making their livelihood through the IPL,” Manjrekar said during a show on Star Sports.

As of now, there is little clarity over the fate of the league. The BCCI is yet to give any update on the tournament. Reports suggest that the Indian board will take its next step only after the 21-day lockdown ends. But even if the lockdown ends later this month, it is safe to say that the IPL will start this month or even next month.

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