New Delhi: The popular Indian Premier League will begin on April 9, the country’s cricket board said on Sunday, with organisers set to eschew crowds initially as coronavirus cases rise in India.
The world’s richest Twenty20 tournament was held in the United Arab Emirates in 2020, but its 14th edition this year will be played across six Indian venues.
“The IPL this year at home will be played behind closed doors to begin with and a call on allowing spectators will be taken at a later stage of the tournament,” Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah said in a statement.
India, which has recorded more than 11.2 million coronavirus infections so far in a population of 1.3 billion, launched a mass vaccination drive in mid-January. The Narendra Modi stadium — the world’s biggest cricket venue that recently hosted England — in Ahmedabad will host the playoffs as well as the final on May 30. — AFP
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