IPL 2020: Maharashtra govt bans ticket sales for Mumbai matches after coronavirus threat

If reports are to believed, the much-awaited IPL 2020 is the latest sports tournament which will be affected because of the Coronavirus epidemic. The Coronavirus epidemic has been spreading throughout the globe with cases rapidly rising in many parts of the world. The government is now on the defensive and public gatherings are being both monitored and regulated.

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Coronavirus epidemic: No IPL ticket booking in Maharashtra?

According to various reports that have surfaced, the Maharashtra government has decided to ban the sale of IPL tickets in the state for the tournament which is set to begin on March 29. It is being reported that after cabinet discussions, the Maharashtra government has come to the conclusion that either IPL matches in the state need to be called off or they need to be held in front of crowd-less stadiums. It is also being reported that the neighbouring state of Karnataka is looking into the Maharashtra government's treatment of the IPL and will further take a call on the same for their own state. 

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IPL cancelled news: Is the IPL cancelled?

There has been a lot of IPL cancelled news floating around on the internet but it is highly unlikely that the tournament will be cancelled. The IPL has a very specific slot in the yearly cricket calendar and shifting the IPL will send a ripple effect through 2020's cricket calendar which can also end up affecting the Men's T20 World Cup scheduled in Australia at the end of the year.

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IPL ticket booking

The IPL ticket booking for Maharashtra will be called off if the government officially declares its decision in the coming days. This will mean that all the home matches of the Mumbai Indians will be played in front of an empty Wankhede Stadium. If the Karnataka government follows suit, the Royal Challengers Bangalore will have to play all their home matches in front of an empty Chinnaswamy Stadium. The current IPL 2020 schedule has the first match lined up on March 29. This match will be played between the defending champions Mumbai Indians and the 2019 runners-up Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

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