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More doubt surrounds IPL as India extends lockdown


MUMBAI – India’s government on Saturday extended its nation-wide lockdown of the country to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus pandemic, dealing a further blow to the already endangered Indian Premier League (IPL).

The initial lockdown began March 25 and was to end on Wednesday but Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now set to keep in place the lockdown measures for up to another two weeks, following a meeting with chief ministers, media reports here have said.

This means the lucrative IPL, originally carded to start March 29 and delayed until April 15, remains in limbo especially with no end to the pandemic in sight.

Several West Indies players have become fixtures in the league’s franchises with the likes of Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer all contracted to turn out in the tournament originally scheduled to run until May 24.

Last season, Pollard played an instrumental role in the final as Mumbai Indians beat Bravo’s Chennai Super Kings by a single run off the last ball.