It has been a tough couple of months for everyone around the globe. The world has been shaken by the coronavirus pandemic as economies have taken a major hit. The situation has gone from bad to worse, however, things are slowly but surely falling in place.
The respective governments have started to ease off restrictions which have given a new ray of hope to sporting events across the world and primarily online cricket betting in India. We have not seen any action in the last couple of months, but the authorities are planning to get back with obvious precautionary measures.
Germany’s football league Bundesliga has already started as the organisers have made sure that they leave no stone left unturned in making sure that no medical risk is taken and everything is in the right place for the smooth conduct of the league.
A lot has been going behind the scenes in making sure that the world-class players return to their training amid the COVID-19 era. It has been a hard time for authorities as there are still travel restrictions in major parts of the world.
The focus is to keep everyone safe and thus the rules have been altered. The players are asked to do individual training sessions before giving them a nod to start training in larger groups at the stadiums. Ergo, it is about taking one step at a time and not forcing or hurrying anyone into their process.
The players have been idle at home in the last couple of months and this has happened for the first time in modern history as the cricket match schedule in India is usually tight. Hence, the players have not been used to it and it is imperative to give them time before we can expect them to hit the ground running.
Meanwhile, it is reported that the IPL is all set to replace the T20 World Cup in October-November. The official announcement is expected to be made soon and we can expect the IPL to be happening if ICC decides to postpone the T20 World Cup.
If this is the case then the BCCI will need to tick a lot of right boxes. The authorities will have to be on their toes as the health of the players will be at stake. The organisers will need to make sure that the guidelines are strictly followed by all the players and staff and there would be no scope of leniency.
There is no doubt in the fact that the IPL will be played behind closed doors, which would happen for the first time in his 13 years history. Furthermore, it would be interesting to note how the Indian board will manage to get the foreign players in India as travel restriction from abroad could be an issue. Thus, the BCCI will need the support of other cricketing boards.
The Indian board will need to make sure that they quarantine the players for 14 days before the start of the tournament. BCCI will also need to conduct frequent Covid-19 tests during the two-month tournament. There are good chances that the whole tournament can take place at two or three venues as travelling across the country could be an issue.
