Coronavirus: BCCI discusses IPL matches in 'closed doors'
By Newsmeter Network Published on 12 March 2020 11:39 AM GMT
Hyderabad: IPL franchises are feeling the pinch of coronavirus scare after fresh reports surfaced that hectic parleys on to decide whether to hold matches behind the closed doors.
On average, a franchise earns about Rs 15-30 crore from the ticket sales given seven home games that each team has to play.
After WHO declared coronavirus a Pandemic, a source from the BCCI said that no foreign player will be available for IPL until April 15 due to the visa restrictions imposed by the government in the wake of COVID-19.
If in case, the IPL is not played in the stadiums with the packed crowds, the BCCI will have to look for alternatives. One such option is to play in other states where the virus has still not affected.
The final call is yet to be taken by the IPL Governing Council, after discussions with the Centre. If the IPL happens behind closed doors, the BCCI will have to discuss the compensation with the franchises.
On the other side, the Maharashtra government has banned the ticket sales to avoid crowd gatherings outside the stadium as a preventive measure. The Karnataka government is likely to do the same. The possibility of games being played there looks very bleak. The opener of this season is to be played between defending champions, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on March 29.
A lot will also depend on India - South Africa ODI series, where 16,000 out of the 22,000 tickets have been sold for the first ODI at Dharamshala.
It can be noted bureau of immigration has issued the visa restrictions.
āAll existing visas issued to nationals of any country except those issued to diplomats, officials, UN/International Organizations, employment, project visas stand suspended till April 15, 2020, which came in after from 1200 GMT on March 13, 2020,ā said the government.
Visa restrictions issued by Bureau of Immigration (BOI) after meeting of GoM on #COVID19 today.#SwasthaBharat #HelpUsToHelpYou @PMOIndia @drharshvardhan @AshwiniKChoubey @MIB_India @PIB_India @DG_PIB @MEAIndia @MoCA_GoI @shipmin_india @tourismgoi pic.twitter.com/dI8tNxihLW
ā Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) March 11, 2020
Visas of all foreigners already in India, however, shall remain valid. The government said any foreign national who intends to travel to India for compelling reasons may contact the nearest Indian mission for fresh Visa.
The government noted that all the incoming travellers including Indian nationals, arriving from any destination and having visited China, Italy, Iran, Republic of Korea, France, Spain, and Germany on or after Feb - 15, 2020 shall be quarantined for a minimum of 14 days.
Meanwhile, the BCCI has also issued precautions for the ODI series.
The dos and do dont's include:
- Washing hands with soap & water for a minimum of 20 seconds
- Use of hand sanitizers
- Covering mouth while sneezing or coughing
- Reporting to the medical team immediately in case of fever, cough or any illness
- Avoid touching face, mouth, nose and eyes before thoroughly washing hands
- Avoid eating out at restaurants where hygiene standards are unknown or compromised
- Avoid close contact & interaction with individuals outside the team environment. This includes avoiding handshake, handling unknown phones for selfies
