‘India’s sole focus should be on the raging pandemic’ – Piers Morgan calls for scrapping of IPL 2021

Piers Morgan, one of the renowned English journalists, reckons that the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) should be discontinued, bearing in mind the COVID-19 pandemic in India. The T20 league got underway on April 9 with the final scheduled for May 30. The matches are currently taking place in Ahmedabad and Delhi after the ones in Mumbai and Chennai.

Nearly three lakh new cases are being recorded every day in India with the death tolls starting to increase again in the coronavirus second wave. Morgan lashed out at Narendra Modi, the Honourable Indian Prime Minister, and slammed him for ‘woefully irresponsible leadership’. Morgan stated that India’s sole focus should be on how to stave off the COVID-19 virus for the time being.

“The Indian Premier League should not continue given the horrific Covid crisis in India due to Prime Minister @narendramodi’s woefully irresponsible leadership. The country’s sole focus should be on the raging pandemic. Cricket is irrelevant. #IPL,” Morgan wrote.

The Indian Premier League should not continue given the horrific Covid crisis in India due to Prime Minister @narendramodi's woefully irresponsible leadership. The country's sole focus should be on the raging pandemic. Cricket is irrelevant. #IPL

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) April 26, 2021

I would appreciate if the IPL is a little bit muted in nature: Abhinav Bindra

Earlier, Olympic medallist Abhinav Bindra also said that the hullabaloo of the IPL shouldn’t overshadow the current scenario in India. He urged the ones, taking part in the tournament, to come forward and contribute whole-heartedly, through ‘right messaging’ and other creative ways.

“Cricketers and officials can’t just live in their own bubble, and be totally deaf or blind to whatever is going outside. I can only imagine that while you’re having these IPL games, outside the stadium you have ambulances going to hospitals. I don’t know how the coverage on TV is but I would really appreciate if it’s a little bit muted in nature,” he wrote.

“The players should realise just how privileged they are to be able to play the IPL in these times. So, I just hope everybody involved in the IPL play their part in one way or the other,” he added.

Among the cricketers, Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins has donated $50000 to the Prime Minister’s (PM) Relief Fund for the purchase of oxygen supplies to Indian hospitals. Thereafter, the netizens lauded him and hailed him as a hero for his heartfelt gesture.