IPL is massive, hope there is a way to schedule IPL later in the year: Rajasthan Royals' Jos Buttler
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England and Rajasthan Royals batsman Jos Buttler has said that it is a ‘big shame’ that IPL 2020 has been affected by the pandemic while adding that he hopes there's a way to schedule it later in the year.
With the COVID-19 continuing to wreak havoc, the sporting calendar has been ripped into pieces. With all the major tournaments and events cancelled or postponed, all eyes are on the fate of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, which was suspended till April 15 in the wake of coronavirus outbreak in India.
While India is in under a 21-day lockdown period in a bid to curb the spread of deadly COVID-19, the likelihood of IPL 2020 looks bleak. England and Rajasthan Royals batsman Jos Buttler has said that it is a ‘big shame’ that IPL 2020 has been affected by the pandemic.
Buttler termed IPL as ‘massive’ for the revenue and crowd attraction it brings to the table while adding the future of IPL 2020 is indefinite as no one knows how the COVID-19 pandemic will last.
"I don't know any more than you know about when IPL would be played or people talking about whether it can be pushed back. At the moment, everything is quite indefinite as no one knows how long it will last. So it can't be decided at the moment when it could or could not happen," Buttler was quoted as saying by a news portal.
"As for the stature of the tournament, it's a massive, massive tournament. Revenue that is involved in IPL is massive. It is a very important competition to cricket and it's a big shame that it's not going ahead or whether it does have the way to push it in the schedule and allow it," the 2019 World Cup winner added.
As per reports, the BCCI is looking for an alternative window later in the year to conduct IPL 2020. However, that will mean some big-name players will miss out on the tournament due to bilateral commitments. "Of course, that might mean certain players might be unavailable. They will have to work through as the situation unfolds," Buttler concluded.