We Should Organise IPL When Everything is Fine: Harbhajan Singh
Apr 7, 2020 at 3:37 PM
The veteran Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh feels ok to play the IPL 2020 in empty stadiums in the wake of novel COVID-19 or coronavirus outbreak, but he first wants to see everything is okay before the tournament.
Like the many other nations, India is also battling against the coronavirus. While more than 1,300,000 coronavirus cases have been reported globally, including the death reports of above 75,000, India has also lost more than 130 people apart from more than 4,000 being tested positive.
The coronavirus has already affected the daily busy life of the world, including sports events. The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was initially scheduled from 29th March to 24th May 2020. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has postponed this tournament till mid-April after observing the crisis moment in India and the world. But while the global situation hasn’t been controlled yet, the IPL 2020 is most likely to get a further postponement.
Talking about the IPL 2020, the present Chennai Super Kings (CSK) off-spinner Harbhajan Singh feels that the tournament should be organised if everything is fine. He believes that it will be tough to play in the empty stadiums, but he is ready to follow this in this edition.
Harbhajan told Star Sports, “A lot of lives are on line so we should organise IPL when everything is fine.
“Spectators are important, but if the situation arises, I don’t mind playing without them. Yes, as a player I won’t get the vibe, but this will ensure that every fan will get to watch IPL on their TV.”
Talking about the future of IPL 2020, Harbhajan wants to fully prioritise players’ safety by confirming the healthy condition of the match venues, team hotels, flights etc.
Harbhajan added, “We will have to be cautious about everything and should prioritise players’ safety by ensuring that the match venues, team hotels, flights are properly sanitized.”
Harbhajan Singh is desperate to return to the game after almost a year
The 39-year-old veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh last time played a professional cricket match during the final of the IPL 2019 (against Mumbai Indians at Hyderabad on 12th May 2019). He is now keeping himself fit by hoping the positive future of the IPL 2020.
Harbhajan claimed, “I miss matches the most, was hoping that I would get to play 17 matches (including finals) after a year’s gap. I miss our visits to the ground, the hordes of fans waiting to greet us, the bikes that used to ride along our bus and am sure that every fan is missing this as well.
“I hope that IPL happens soon, till then I will keep myself fit.”
The BCCI is desperately trying to organise the IPL 2020 successfully at any cost, even shortening the tournament or the lesser presence of the foreign cricketers. However, while the situation hasn’t been controlled yet, the future of IPL 2020 is still doubtful.