Will IPL 2021 be postponed: What will happen to IPL 2021 after KKR’s Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier test positive for COVID-19?

Will IPL 2021 be postponed: The biggest T20 competition has started to feel the threat possessed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ongoing 14th season of the Indian Premier League has faced the wrath of the COVID-19 pandemic after a couple of players and three non-playing individuals have contacted the virus.

Apart from Kolkata Knight Riders bowling pair of Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier, Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan, bowling coach Laxmipathy Balaji and a bus driver have tested positive for COVID-19.

Chakravarthy, 29, has picked seven wickets in as many matches for KKR at an average of 31.28, an economy rate of 7.82 and a strike rate of 24 this season. Warrier, on the other hand, was yet to play a match this season.

Additionally, it has also been reported that Knight Riders’ Australian pair of Pat Cummins and Ben Cutting have also been self-isolated in a precautionary measure.

As a result, tonight’s match between Knight Riders and Royals Challengers Bangalore in Ahmedabad has been postponed. Having said that, BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) are yet to share a new date for the league match.

Will IPL 2021 be postponed?

A similar scenario had occurred in the sixth season of the Pakistan Super League earlier this year when a match had to be postponed after reported positive cases. What followed was the whole tournament being brought to a halt as it delayed for months and will resume next month.

As far as IPL 2021 is concerned, the cash-rich league will continue to operate as per the original plan as of now. Writing anything which isn’t official will be nothing but mere speculations at this point in time.

While KKR players will be tested on a daily basis from now on, other teams in Ahmedabad will also be strictly monitored in a bid to ensure that the optimum safety of everyone involved in the bio-secure bubble.

Considering that the situation worsens in Ahmedabad, the BCCI might look at bringing their two standby venues namely Hyderabad and Indore into action. In what is easier said than done, it wouldn’t be possible without further delays.