With the rising concern over Coronavirus in the country, the Maharashtra government has banned ticket sales in the state for the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) opening match between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
The much-awaited match is scheduled to be held on March 29 and the season will continue till May 24. This measure and decision have been taken to avoid the gathering of a large number of people.
After two people tested positive for COVID-19, Mumbai is on high alert, which takes the total afflicted in the state to seven, including five in Pune.
Earlier in the week, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said that the government may consider postponing the IPL because of the deadly virus that is spreading like wildfire. "There is always a possible danger of spread (of contagious diseases) when large numbers of people gather in one place... Such (IPL) events can always be organised later," Tope told media on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly stated that there will be no change in the IPL schedule.
