IPL 2021: Bursting the bubble – Timeline of cancellation of the tournament
The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League has come to a sudden halt after multiple cases of COVID-19 were reported across camps in different bubbles. There were plenty of questions surrounding the tournament already owing to the worsening situation of the pandemic in India.
While the BCCI was mulling over rescheduling the tournament in its entirety in Mumbai, two new cases on the same day (Amit Mishra and Wriddhiman Saha of Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad respectively) across different teams led the management to take the extreme step.
While the fate of the T20 extravaganza now hangs in uncertainty as the upcoming year has dates marked for a list of other events, it remains to be seen what the BCCI will propose as a solution to conclude the incomplete event.
21st April – It all started with Liam Livingstone leaving the IPL bio-bubble to fly back to the UK citing bubble fatigue as the reason.
25th April – His Rajasthan Royals teammate, Andrew Tye, left the tournament midway citing fear of travel bans and not being able to fly back to Australia only four days after Livingstone pulled out.
26th April – The following day, Ravichandran Ashwin pulled out of the league midway after some of his family members contracted Covid and he left to be alongside them in the time of crisis.
I would be taking a break from this years IPL from tomorrow. My family and extended family are putting up a fight against #COVID19 and I want to support them during these tough times. I expect to return to play if things go in the right direction. Thank you @DelhiCapitals ??
— Stay home stay safe! Take your vaccine?? (@ashwinravi99) April 25, 2021
After the DC spinner conveyed his decision late night 26th April on Twitter, the next morning RCB officially confirmed that two players namely Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson opted out of the tournament due to personal reasons.
3rd May – KKR players Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier tested positive and subsequently their match against RCB got suspended, with BCCI looking to reschedule it.
Thanking all the fans who have sent good wishes to Varun & Sandeep as they embark on their road to recovery from #Covid19 ?
Meanwhile, here’s what CEO & MD @VenkyMysore had to say about the situation in his chat with @StarSportsIndia https://t.co/pWS6kCfExG #KKRvsRCB #IPL2021
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 3, 2021
On the same day, three support staff members of the CSK franchise including Lakshmipathy Balaji tested positive for the virus.
4th May – CSK communicated to the BCCI that they will not be able to take the field unless all the players who came in contact with the positive staff members test negative. Subsequently, the match against RR got postponed.
Official Announcement!#WhistlePodu #Yellove ?? pic.twitter.com/45mWyu8ySn
— Chennai Super Kings – Mask P?du Whistle P?du! (@ChennaiIPL) May 4, 2021
The same day DC’s Amit Mishra and SRH’s Wriddhiman Saha tested positive, leading to doubts about the MI and SRH clash scheduled in the evening. By afternoon, the BCCI and IPL governing council decided to indefinitely postpone the tournament.
UPDATE: The Indian Premier League Governing Council (IPL GC) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in an emergency meeting has unanimously decided to postpone IPL 2021 season with immediate effect.
Details – https://t.co/OgYXPj9FQy pic.twitter.com/lYmjBId8gL
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 4, 2021
