Sourav Ganguly Rules Out Chances Of IPL 2020 Taking Place In India

With the pandemic situation in India showing little signs of improvement, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has effectively ruled out any chance of IPL taking place in the country. The former India captain reckoned the country will have to bear with the COVID-19 pandemic at least till the end of this year or beginning of 2021.

The thirteenth edition of the IPL was scheduled to take place between March 29 and May 17. However, the BCCI had to suspend the league indefinitely in the light of the pandemic. And while there is little clarity over when will the league take place, it is more or less clear that it will be conducted outside India.

“I think the next two-three-four months will be a little tough. We will just have to bear it, and by the end of the year or beginning of next year, life should be back to normal,” said Sourav Ganguly while responding to a question on how he looks at the COVID-19 situation in India during a chat with opener Mayank Agarwal on the show #DadaOpensWithMayank.

The BCCI has already zeroed in on the end September-early November window for the IPL. The board now must be planning about the venue for the competition. New Zealand on Monday became the latest country after UAE and Sri Lanka to present an offer to host the IPL in case the lucrative league can’t be held in India due to rising cases of coronavirus.

“I will wait for the vaccine to come out. Till then, yes, we will have to be a little more careful…we know what’s happening and we don’t want to fall sick. Saliva is an issue. Maybe once the vaccine comes out, just like any other illness, everything will be fine,” said Sourav Ganguly.

Meanwhile, international cricket will finally resume this week with England and West Indies set to lock horns in the first of the three-match Test series. The game begins on July 8 in Southampton. International cricket came to a halt in March in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

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