Coronavirus: BCCI Consider Alternate Venues After Delhi Bans IPL Matches
Manish Sisodia announced all sports gatherings including the IPL will be banned amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Highlights
-
The Delhi government banned IPL matches from being held in the city
-
The BCCI are considering alternate venues to host Delhi Capitals' matches
-
Lucknow is one of the options the BCCI may be looking at
The Delhi government's refusal to allow any IPL matches in the city owing to the COVID-19 pandemic has added to the BCCI's woes with the Board now looking for alternate venues in "willing" states to conduct a closed-door edition. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday said that the national capital will not have any sporting events for a month to contain the spread of the deadly infection that has sent the world into turmoil with close to 5,000 deaths so far.
The IPL is due to start on March 29 in Mumbai and Delhi's first game was to be on March 30.
"All sports gatherings will be banned, including the IPL, in wake of the coronavirus threat," Sisodia said.
The BCCI responded by listing the alternate venues that could play host.
Delhi is home to the Delhi Capital IPL franchise.
"Lucknow has been wanting to host IPL matches for a while now. If it's a closed door tournament, it really doesn't matter where it is played," a BCCI source told PTI.
Before Delhi, Karnataka had also expressed its unwillingness to host IPL matches, while Maharashtra have banned the sale of tickets.