Indian government to decide fate of IPL, not cricket board: Minister
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Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said a decision in this connection will be taken by the government, not the Indian cricket board, and would be based on how well the country has contained the novel coronavirus.
India's sports minister on Sunday said Indian Premier League would go ahead only if there was no risk to public health.
Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said a decision in this connection will be taken by the government, not the Indian cricket board, and would be based on how well the country has contained the novel coronavirus.
"In India the government has to take a call and it will be depending on the situation of the pandemic, how we progress as a nation," Rijiju told the India Today television channel.
"We can't put health of the nation at risk just because we want sporting events to be held. Our focus is fighting COVID-19."
The IPL is worth almost $530 million to the BCCI and attracts the best international and Indian cricketers, according to Reuters.
It was scheduled to start at the end of March but was indefinitely postponed because of the pandemic.
India has reported 131,868 infections from the new coronavirus, with 3,867 deaths.