Whether it’s the hometown of Chennai Super Kings, or the Mumbai Indians, or most of the other Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises – the Covid19 has most affected the IPL cities across the country. Call it just an unfortunate coincidence or something else. Still, the truth is that in the nation where cricket is religion and IPL its biggest celebration – the home cities of the most popular franchises feel like nobody else is pinching the Coronavirus. The eight IPL cities contribute nearly 45% of the country’s total cases and 47% of total casualties.
According to BBCI, the most impacted franchise by the Coronavirus is Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and other IPL cities. The reported cases are growing instead of going down. The organization cannot assume a cricket tournament in these cities happens at any time soon under these circumstances.
Mumbai, the Mumbai Indians’ home town has the country’s most cases of Coronavirus. The country’s financial capital and IPL’s most successful team have recorded 42,216 (to date last reported) cases and with 1368 the most casualties.
The home city of Delhi Capital, Delhi is the second most affected city in the country, followed by Chennai Super Kings. The cases of the Corona in both towns get alarming by the day. Sunrisers Hyderabad also has to date recorded in 1610 cases. In comparison, the least affected IPL franchise cities are Royal Challengers Bengaluru and KingsXI Punjab ‘s home city Chandigarh / Mohali.
If the T20 World Cup is postponed, the BCCI is targeting the post-monsoon window for IPL 2020, as declared by its chief executive. But even if the window becomes available, the board’s biggest challenge would be to get the pitches ready for IPL 2020 in these franchise home cities impacted by Covid19 by September. During these circumstances, the maintenance of these grounds and pitches is almost impossible.
According to some experts, playing surfaces get a top dressing before monsoon hits in June (manure, fertilizer, a unique form of soil). It’s a full 10-day cycle for India ‘s international venues that infuses freshness in stripes left exhausted from the matches of the previous season. But the national lockout to deal with Covid-19 has sent the regular timetable of a six to work.
The IPL is all about 4s, and 6s, slow and tired wickets mean a toss goes for the flashiness and zing of the world’s most lucrative league. Some experts feel that if the suffering for IPL franchise cities continues to increase, it will even make it difficult for the city administration to also provide regular police, fire permits and protections whenever the league returns to these cities.
