Sourav Ganguly says no cricket in India ‘anytime soon’, not even behind closed doors

• BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has said that there will be no cricket in India in the near future.
• This may mean that the IPL 2020 which has been postponed may not be played at all.
• Bundesliga may be the first major sporting event that is played amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

Amid the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, the IPL 2020 was indefinitely postponed earlier this month. While there have been calls to play cricket matches behind closed doors, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has made it clear that the sport will have to take a back seat for the near future.

It may not be possible for top-flight cricket in India to resume before the Coronavirus pandemic is brought under control. However, a few international tournaments have chosen to play behind closed doors.

Bundesliga may be played in May, but it’s not possible to resume sports in India

Popular German football league Bundesliga is expected to be the first major sporting event that will be played amid the Coronavirus pandemic. Discussions are being held to resume the league in May.

Ganguly however said that the social reality of Germany and India is different and that there’s no point in playing cricket when there is a risk to human life.

"The social reality of Germany and India are different, there will be no cricket in India in the near future. There are too many ifs and buts involved. More importantly, I don't believe in sport when there is a risk to human life," Ganguly told TOI.

Ganguly’s comments indicate that IPL 2020 will be cancelled altogether dashing hopes for many Indians.

“When IPL teams travel, there’s a huge crowd at the airports, hotels, outside the stadium. How are you going to stop them if you are looking to maintain social distancing? There should be no top-flight cricket till there is a vaccine for Covid-19,” said former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh.

Sunil Gavaskar wants India to host the 2020 World Cup

Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar suggested that as Australia and India are supposed to host the 2020 and 2021 World Cups respectively, the two cricket boards should swap the tournaments if the situation is under control in India.

"Next year the T20 World Cup is scheduled in India. If India and Australia come to an agreement and the Covid-19 curve in India flattens out, they can swap. It can be held in India this October-November and next year in Australia," he said.

Earlier this week, a report revealed that Cricket Australia is considering adding a fifth test-match in the India vs Australia bilateral test series scheduled later this year. BCCI officials however have not considered this request yet.

See also:

Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli join the list of cricketers who have donated to fight Coronavirus

Post-COVID-19 world could be blessing in disguise for Indian sports: Abhinav Bindra

With lockdown extension on cards, IPL all set to be postponed indefinitely