The Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament was deferred to April 15 on Friday as a precautionary measure taken over the spread of the coronavirus in India, a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official said.
The league, held annually between March and May, was scheduled to start on March 29 this year.
A BCCI official said that it was decided that the best way forward is to hold the cash-rich league from April 15. "Yes, the internal decision has been made to postpone the start of the tournament and it will begin on April 15. The BCCI has informed the franchises about the same," the official said.
The Indian government on Wednesday cancelled all visas, except for a few official categories, till April 15, in the wake of the growing coronavirus scare.
In the meeting held at Nirman Bhavan in the national capital, it was decided that all existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/international organisations, employment and project visas, stand suspended till April 15 over the coronavirus pandemic.
The BCCI is set to meet the IPL team owners on Saturday before the start of the IPL Governing Council meeting and the way forward will be discussed then.
The franchises communicated to BCCI that they want the foreign players to be a part of the league. "Yes, we have been informed that the IPL will now start from April 15, but we need clarity on the availability of the foreign players. The IPL loses its charm if we don't have the four foreigners in the teams. After all, they are just as integral a part of the teams as the Indian stars," an official of a franchise told IANS.
The decision comes after the Delhi government announced that it will not allow mass gatherings including IPL matches to be held in the national capital. Making the announcement, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the steps were being taken as a preventive measure. "The government has banned all conferences, sports events and seminars. All the big events, gatherings, sports events will be banned in Delhi," Sisodia said.
Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope stated that tickets for IPL matches will not be sold for games in Mumbai. The league's opening game was set to be held in the city. "There was discussion in the cabinet... tickets will (likely) not be sold. They (organisers) have two options, either postpone or hold matches without spectators," Rajesh said.
The BCCI is set to meet representatives from all the teams participating in the IPL on Saturday.
The BCCI is expected to take a final call on the matter in the IPL Governing Council meeting in Mumbai on Saturday.
As many as 79 cases of COVID-19 (coronavirus) have been reported in India and it has led to the death of one person in Karnataka.
With IANS inputs