Will IPL 2021 be postponed? BCCI come up with THIS last-resort idea to save tournament

The future of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) has hit the rocks after several members of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchises tested positive for COVID-19. As per IPL 2021 schedule, the Match 30 of IPL 2021 between KKR and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) which was originally slated to be played on Monday, May 3 was postponed with immediate effect after KKR players Sandeep Warrier and Varun Chakravarthy COVID positive reports came out. According to reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to reschedule the KKR vs RCB postponed game.

Will IPL 2021 be postponed after Varun Chakravarthy Covid update?

Moreover,  three CSK members - CEO Kasi Viswanathan, bowling coach Lakshimpathy Balaji and a bus cleaner designated for the team also tested positive for the ungodly virus. The aforementioned developments have put the future of the tournament in jeopardy. After the KKR vs RCB postponed game fans have been left wondering, "Will IPL 2021 be postponed?"

To answer the "Will IPL 2021 be postponed?" query, no, the IPL 2021 isn't going to be postponed as of now. According to an ESPNcricinfo report, Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI is looking to relocate IPL 2021 to Mumbai to curtail the risks after multiple coronavirus cases were reported from both venues (Ahmedabad and Delhi) currently hosting the competition. If the plan sees the light of the day, Mumbai could start hosting matches from the upcoming weekend.

Meanwhile, the biggest challenge for the Sourav Ganguly-led board will be to create entirely new and safe bio-secure bubbles which includes finding hotels for the eight IPL franchises to accommodate themselves, as well as, preparing the stadiums. Fortunately, the three main grounds in Mumbai Wankhede Stadium, DY Patil Stadium and Brabourne Stadium were all used for IPL 2021 and are match-ready. While Wankhede Stadium hosted 10 IPL 2021 matches, DY Patil Stadium and Brabourne Stadium were used for training purposes ahead of the start of the tournament.

The change in location will also lead to the reorganization of the IPL 2021 schedule with several doubleheaders. There's also a possibility of the IPL final being moved from May 30 to the first week of June. If that happens, the schedule of the WTC final that is slated to be played from June 18-22 in Southampton could also be affected. The UK has recently blocked travel from India, which is why the ICC is currently negotiating quarantine rules and exemptions with the British government for the Indian and New Zealand players who are currently playing in the IPL.

SOURCE: PTI