IPL 2020: Nothing has been decided yet, says Sourav Ganguly

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly says there is no clarity on the fate of IPL 2020 as the country faces a lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic.

Sourav Ganguly and Jay Shah had a meeting with the IPL franchises in Mumbai on March 14.

 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief Sourav Ganguly has made it clear that there is still no clarity on the fate of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, as the country faces a lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Nothing has been decided yet. There is no clarity," Ganguly told Sportstar from Kolkata on Tuesday.

On March 14, the BCCI top brass had a meeting with all the franchises and it was decided that the board will monitor the situation every week and then decide on the future course of action. "Things remain as it was on (March 14), when we decided to postpone the IPL (to April 15). Since then nothing has changed. So, there is no update," the former India captain said.

The IPL was originally scheduled to begin on March 29 with Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings locking horns at the Wankhede Stadium.

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With the situation looking gloomier, will the tournament be called off? "We have not decided on that yet. We don't know yet. Let's see how things go in the next few days," Ganguly said.

The franchise officials had a conference call last week. The BCCI chief, however, said that he has not spoken to anyone yet. "What change have you seen in the last one week? Nothing! We have not spoken to any of the franchises yet."

A second con-call was scheduled to be held on Tuesday, which was called off. And Ganguly revealed there is no meeting lined up either.

Among the eight options that the franchises were given during the meeting in Mumbai on March 14, one was about extending the window to at least May 31. There were speculations that the BCCI may even speak to the overseas associations seeking further extension. "Given the situation, nobody is in a position to say anything."

While the question mark remains over the IPL, the COVID-19 virus has also led to the delay in appointment of India's senior women selectors and junior selectors. "All the cricketing operations are shut. So..." Ganguly said.

For the last couple of days, he is stuck at home, and is spending time with his family. "It is important for everyone to stay safe. The city (Kolkata) is in a complete lockdown. The streets are empty. I have never seen such a thing earlier. But this too shall change for the better," he signed off.