The governing council of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will meet over the next few days to discuss the situation arising out of the coronavirus outbreak and the scheduling of matches in its 13th edition.
“We will meet in the next 2/3 days and discuss the scenario. There has been no official communication so far but the situation has reached a stage where we cannot remain oblivious to what is happening around us. More importantly, the situation is changing dramatically everyday as the number of persons affected seem to be on the rise,” a governing council member told The Telegraph on Tuesday.
The IPL is scheduled to begin on March 29 at the Wankhede with the Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians taking on Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings.
Sourav Ganguly, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president, had said last week that the tournament is “very much on schedule” and all measures would be in place to tackle the coronavirus threat.
The franchise owners haven’t been informed anything yet but one of the major stakeholders has been in discussion with the BCCI on the issue.
“We are waiting for an advisory from the Union health ministry. If it comes to a point of no return, we may be forced to hold matches behind closed doors. The situation is fluid at this stage and could see dramatic change within a few hours,” a source said.
“If matches are held in empty stadiums, the franchises will suffer financially. How they can be compensated is also being deliberated upon. Another possibility is about reducing the number of days and pushing it back by a few days.
“It’s not just about gatherings at stadiums that could pose a threat. A lot of air travel and other logistics will also have to be taken into consideration during the tournament.”
A lot will depend on how the three ODIs versus South Africa pan out and the BCCI will be keeping a close watch on the proceedings.
The Maharashtra health ministry has already sounded a warning and on Tuesday the Karnataka government has written to the Centre seeking advice on whether IPL matches should be held in Bangalore.
