IPL 2020: More troubles for BCCI as COVID-19 cases rise to 14

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been going through a tumultuous phase due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The most-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) had to be postponed for an indefinite time period after being scheduled to start in the March. The tournament is eventually set to get underway on Saturday, September 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

With around two weeks left for the start of the championship, troubles don’t seem to end for the world’s richest cricket board. Earlier, 13 members of their contingent tested positive for the deadly coronavirus. Out of them, two were cricketers in the form of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Chahar. Both the cricketers are currently serving their extended quarantine period.

Another roadblock before IPL

A member of BCCI’s medical team has been tested positive for the ungodly virus as per reports in The Indian Express. The member contracted the virus on a day when the UAE registered its biggest tally of new coronavirus cases since May 27. The member is currently staying in isolation. The development isn’t going to make things any easier for the Indian board.

As far as CSK is concerned, they were set to start practising from September 1 onwards. But the situation surrounding the coronavirus cases pushed ahead their quarantine period. On Tuesday itself, CSK Chief Executive Kasi Viswanathan said that all the members, except the 13, returned negative results. He also said that the team is likely to start training on September 4.

In the meantime, the COVID-19 scenario in the UAE isn’t getting pleasant by any stretch of the imagination. On Wednesday, September 2, the UAE stated that 723 new positive cases came to the fore after a total of 79,623 tests. Since May 27, the gulf country reported 883 new positive cases. It goes without saying that the UAE, somewhat, managed to flatten the curve.

Due to the current situation, the BCCI hasn’t released the fixtures of the IPL as well. The board has also been busy signing sponsors. Earlier, VIVO, a Chinese mobile brand, backed out and Dream11 was rope din as the new title sponsors. Unacademy and CRED were also brought in as sponsors.