IPL 2021 to go ahead as per schedule: Sourav Ganguly

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly stated that the ongoing 14th IPL season will go on as per schedule despite the COVID-19 situation. IPL 2021 is being held in bio-bubbles across six cities in India, with all the games being played behind closed doors. India is presently registering over three lakh daily cases for the past few days. The health infrastructure is also struggling to handle the massive surge, as the country continues to fight back amid a shortage of oxygen and some essential medicines.

Rajasthan Royals seamer Andrew Tye and Royal Challengers Bangalore duo Kane Richardson and Adam Zampa have returned back home, citing personal reasons. The RCB duo becomes the latest cricketers to exit the IPL 2021 bio-bubble this week. Zampa and Richardson opting out mean that a total of three Australians has now decided to leave the tournament mid-way in the span of two days. Earlier, RR batsman Liam Livingstone had left the competition citing bio-bubble fatigue. So far, five cricketers have withdrawn from the tournament due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Ahmedabad will be the venue for the playoffs and the IPL 2021 Final

According to sources, both ECB and Cricket Australia have no plans to call their players back forcefully. However, both the boards will facilitate returns for those who want to return to the country. Cricket Australia recently claimed that they are in touch with their players and continuously take feedback from the Indian government.

The year's start witnessing the officials organizing the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. However, they had to cancel the Ranji Trophy campaign. The Covid situation in India currently remains at its worst, with many new cases are being recorded every day. The current crisis has forced the cricketers to live in bio-bubbles for the last six months. Thanking the players for their grit and sacrifices, Ganguly praised all the players for producing such high-quality cricket despite the hurdles.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, BCCI has taken several safety measures in IPL 2021. All the games between the eight teams are going to be played behind closed doors. Spectators are also not allowed inside the stadium. There are only six stadiums that will host IPL 2021 matches. Each franchise will travel only three times during the group stages. All the playoff games will occur in one venue, which is Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad.

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