BCCI Suspends IPL 2021 Indefinitely Over Rising Covid Cases Among Teams

NEW DELHI:
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday announced that it is suspending the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 owing to rising covid cases in the country and multiple IPL players testing positive.

BCCI ‘s vice-president Rajeev Shukla said that the league has been suspended for this season.

The announcement comes after a Sun Risers Hyderabad (SRH) player tested positive ahead of their scheduled match against Mumbai Indians in Delhi today. The rising number of Covid positives within the IPL bio bubble have led to the suspension of the season mid-way.

On 3 May, match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to be played in Ahmedabad had to be postponed after two KKR players tested positive.

Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier of KKR have tested positive for covid-19.

“Both the players have isolated themselves from the rest of the squad. The Medical Team is in continuous touch with the duo and is monitoring their health. Meanwhile, the Kolkata Knight Riders have now moved towards a daily testing routine to identify any other possible cases and treat them at the earliest,” the IPL said in the statement.

Four international players and one national players have already exited the 2021 edition of IPL, which is being held at six major Indian cities.

Australian players make up the majority of the exits. Royal Challengers Bangalore’s overseas recruits Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson along with Rajasthan Royals’ fast bowler Andrew Tye returned home citing personal reasons.