The Mumbai-leg matches of the Indian Premier League will be held at the Wankhede even if there’s a lockdown in Maharashtra, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly said on Saturday.
“Lockdown in a way will be better since not many people will be around. So it will be restricted to few people who will undergo regular tests inside the bio-bubble,” Sourav told The Telegraph on Saturday.
There’s been a rapid surge in the number of Covid-19 cases in the country with Mumbai reporting over 9000 people in the last 24 hours who have been affected by the virus.
There’s talk that matches could be shifted to Hyderabad but the former India captain didn’t wish to read much into it. “The IPL matches will be held in Mumbai,” Sourav said. “Once you are in a bubble nothing happens. Even in the UAE last season, there were a few such incidents in the lead-up to the event but once the tournament started everything was fine.
“Lockdown won’t be a problem since we have got the necessary permission and assurances from the state government to conduct matches there. Mumbai will be hosting only ten matches between April 10 to 25 and there will be nothing to worry inside the bio-bubble. We are in a well-secured set-up and the players and support staff will be safe,” the BCCI president insisted.
All of the four teams who will start their IPL campaign in Mumbai — Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals — have already reached there and are staying at five-star properties exclusively meant for the franchises.
Delhi Capitals’ Axar Patel and 10 other members of the ground staff at the Wankhede have tested positive. Six event managers, deployed by the BCCI for the IPL, have also been affected.
“He (Axar) had checked into the team hotel in Mumbai on March 28, 2021, with a negative report. His report from the second Covid test, came positive. He is currently in isolation,” the franchise said.
Axar will miss their opener against CSK on April 10 since he has to serve the mandatory 10-day quarantine period as per the IPL’s standard operating procedures.
According to a Mumbai Cricket Association official, the ground staff are being tested every two days. Two of those who tested positive have already returned negative results.
None of the teams currently in Mumbai have access to the Wankhede and are training at the Brabourne Stadium and Bandra Kurla Complex ground. Kolkata Knight Riders are training at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
