Team India anticipated nationwide lockdown once RSA series was cancelled: Ravi Shastri

The ongoing coronavirus outbreak has shut down all cricketing events in the world. Even the ODI series between India and South Africa scheduled to be played earlier this month got postponed after a rain-affected opening match itself. Moreover, the much-anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) season has been delayed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to fight the contagious coronavirus pandemic.

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Ravi Shastri on the impact of lockdown on Team India players

Team India head coach Ravi Shastri believes the ongoing break from the game is a “welcome rest” for Indian players. While speaking with former English cricketers Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain and Rob Key in an England-based news outlet’s podcast, Ravi Shastri said that the players needed this break after a hectic 40-day tour of New Zealand. He added that the entire team management had a fair idea of an imminent lockdown after the second India vs South Africa ODI was cancelled.

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In the podcast, Ravi Shastri maintained the importance of having a lockdown in such a situation and said the players have a “lot of responsibility” in spreading awareness to their fans. He cited the example of Team India captain Virat Kohli and a few other cricketers who took to social media for the same.

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Status of IPL 2020: IPL postponed

IPL 2020 was originally intended to launch on March 29 with a match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. Several Indian and overseas cricketers were scheduled to join their respective franchises for the two-month event. While the BCCI has delayed the launch of IPL 2020 by just over two weeks, the worldwide impact of coronavirus is likely to cause further delays to the tournament.

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