Karnataka govt appeals to Centre ‘Cancel IPL 2020’ amid COVID-19

The rapid spread of Coronavirus worldwide has started seeing its impact in India as well. With over 50 cases in the country, many sporting events have either been cancelled or postponed.

The COVID-19 could have a massive impact on the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The cash-rich tournament is now set for a massive set-back after the Karnataka Government denied hosting any IPL matches in Bengaluru.

The concerns have been previously raised over staging the IPL even as the BCCI President Sourav Ganguly recently confirmed that the tournament will go ahead as planned. At the same time, the BCCI sources also stated that they are monitoring the



situation.

Bengaluru is home to the Virat Kohli-led franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as the Chinnaswamy Stadium hosts all their matches. Earlier, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope had raised concerns over the coronavirus outbreak and felt that the IPL can be organised later.

On March 9, a Bengaluru resident was tested positive for coronavirus according to the Karnataka Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar. 

While the resident has been put under quarantine at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD) in Bengaluru, the state has also called to shut down all primary schools and IT companies until further notice.