The coronavirus pandemic brought an unprecedented halt to the sports industry worldwide. As the world slowly started recovering, sports came back too. The Indian Premier League (IPL), like most sporting leagues, had to be suspended.
Last year, IPL played off the rest of the season in Dubai behind closed doors. This year’s season is slated to start soon and would be played in India. While the country still deals with the pandemic, the authorities are taking all precautions with the biggest cricket league globally.
Putting more pressure on the season is the fact that India is also preparing to host the T20 World Cup later this year. Any incident during this year’s IPL season could spell disaster for the upcoming major international tournament.
Matches to be played behind closed doors.
According to recent announcements, spectators would not be allowed in the stadiums, at least during the tournament’s initial stage. Depending on the situation, the authorities may allow spectators into the stadiums, but it is unlikely.
However, given the success of the last season’s stint in Dubai, fans do not seem to mind watching from home that much. Given the importance of social distancing and taking precautions at the tail end of a pandemic, most fans understand why the steps are being taken.
Less travel for teams.
The IPL authorities also structured the tournament in a way that would minimize the travel time required for the teams to further reduce the chances of incidents during the tournament. All the matches would be accompanied by the latest precautions as directed by the global health community.
Bookmakers predict a win for Mumbai Indians
International bookmakers like Royal Panda (who are known for their very accurate odds) have picked the five times trophy winner Mumbai Indians as the most likely winner of this year’s season too.
On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings are considered the least likely teams to win.
A warm-up to the T20 World Cup or a sign of confidence?
The T20 World Cup is the most prestigious T20 cricket tournament. With the world cup scheduled to take place just a few months after the IPL season, it is natural that authorities want to have an incident-free tournament to revive international confidence in India’s ability to host the T20 World Cup without any issues.
