IPL 2021: How much has cricketers donation for COVID-19 been so far? Amount stuns fans

Mounting public pressure on the IPL 2021 and growing unpopularity have led a number of cricketers and teams to make generous donations for the COVID efforts in India. Many cricketers donation for COVID-19 along with their influence on social media could make a huge difference in the country's fight against the deadly second wave of the coronavirus that has currently gripped it. Here is a list of all the COVID-19 donations made by IPL 2021 teams and players.

Cricketers donation for COVID-19: Who all have contributed so far?

The first of the major COVID-19 donations by a cricketer was the Pat Cummins donation. Initially made out to the PM CARES fund to help procure oxygen equipment for the country, the Aussie pacer announced that the $50,000 (INR 37.3 lakh) sum has now been handed over to UNICEF Australia to aid their COVID crisis appeal in India. With many Australian players like Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson have choosing to leave India in light of the worsening situation, Cricket Australia has also added $50,000 to the UNICEF Australia appeal. The Pat Cummins donation was much appreciated by several Indian cricket fans.

Adding to the extremely generous donations from the Aussies, legendary fast bowler Brett Lee also promised the sum of 1 Bitcoin (worth nearly INR 41 lakh) to Crypto Relief. Currently a member of the Star Sports expert commentary team, Lee's aid is also meant to help Indian hospitals procure oxygen supplies. One of the most significant contributions besides these is the Rohit Sharma COVID-19 donation. Amounting to INR 80 lakhs in all, the funds are split into INR 45 lakh for PM-CARES, INR 25 lakhs for Maharashtra CM's Relief Fund, INR 5 lakhs for Feeding India and INR 5 lakhs for the welfare of street dogs. The Rohit Sharma COVID-19 donation for 2021 has not yet been revealed.

Adding to the list is Delhi's Shikhar Dhawan, who has been in stellar form this year. Pledging INR 20 lakh to Mission Oxygen, to help hospitals and patients procure oxygen equipment, Dhawan added that he would give any amount earned from post-match awards to the organization - a significant amount if the southpaw keeps going as he has been. Rajasthan pacer Jaydev Unadkat also won hearts after he announced that he would donate 10% of his IPL 2021 salary towards COVID-19 Relief programs, while Rajasthan Royals became the 1st team to donate, giving INR 7.5 crores.

Besides monetary help, many associations and players have tried to provide direct help to organizations. The Delhi & District Cricket Association also pledged 100 units of oxygen concentrators and 100 units of BPAP-B non-invasive ventilators to the cause, while Hardik and Krunal Pandya donated 200 oxygen concentrators to rural India. The Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers have also pledged equipment and funds, taking the tournament's tally to a considerable high.

Image Credits: IPL website