Hardik Pandya, who has not played cricketer for eight months, has said that playing the 13 edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) behind the close door is a smarter option amid the spread of the infectious and deadly coronavirus.
The pandemic has triggered IPL 2020, which was earlier scheduled to start from 29th March, has now been postponed indefinitely. The league will be scheduled only after the situations gets normal and under control of the government. Also, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) can only take a step further after the Indian government gives permission and remove travel ban.
If later, this year, the league gets scheduled, BCCI will have to take some significant steps to control the spread of the unprecedented virus. The first step which can be taken is to play behind the close door to escape the gathering of people which may again cause the outbreak of COVID-19 on a large scale.
Playing behind the door will be different: Hardik Pandya
The allrounder Pandya has supported playing behind the close doors though he acknowledged it would be a tough task. He also remembered his Ranji Trophy days when he played without the crowd.
“It will be different. We are used to playing in front of them as the feeling of competition comes with the crowd,” said Pandya in an Instagram live chat with Dinesh Karthik.
“I’ve played in the Ranji Trophy without crowds, and it feels different. To be honest, if that [IPL behind closed doors] happens, it will be a smarter option. At least people will be entertained at home,” he said.
Hardik Pandya had recently done incredibly well in the domestic circuit:
Hardik plays for Mumbai Indians in IPL. He was set to make a comeback in the IPL 2020 after he recovered from injury. The right-hand batsman resurfaced with the back injury which he sustained during the Asia Cup 2018.
After going under surgery, he went under rehabilitation period and had recovered ahead of the South Africa series which was scheduled in March. However, unfortunately, the pandemic has triggered everyone’s plans.