The coronavirus has finally hit IPL 2021, with players of the Kolkata Knight Riders team testing positive for COVID-19 along with staff members of the Chennai Super Kings team.
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After 29 matches, finally what Indian cricket fans dreaded has happened. Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, IPL 2021 was held in the bio bubble without any hassles. Despite the abnormal ‘new normal’ of matches and funerals taking place side-by-side, the IPL continued. However, the illusion of safety is shattered on Monday.
Two players of the Kolkata Knight Riders team, Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Warrier tested positive for COVID-19. The entire KKR team is in isolation. There are also reports of members in the Chennai Super Kings testing positive. However, that is only speculative. In short, when the tournament has reached the halfway stage, the coronavirus has set the cat amongst the pigeons.
At the same time, underlying the bubble of ignorance that the franchises live in, Kolkata Knight Riders posted training photos of the side. This not only makes it foolish, it also reinforces the image that franchises and cricketers like to live in a bubble and be oblivious of the death and destruction around them.
With the bio-bubble being breached, is the IPL 2021 in danger? Not at the faintest. BCCI officials have said only the Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore match is rescheduled. There is no such plan to do the same for other games. It had to be the typical response.
Even when Chennai Super Kings were hit by COVID-19 in IPL 2020, the tournament did not suffer. In IPL 2021, with the coronavirus hitting closer to home, there is a zero percent chance that the tournament will be cancelled. It is already the half-way stage. The tournament is shaping up well. For the BCCI and the host broadcasters, money matters a lot more than cancelling the tournament due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The IPL 2021 teams, players has been criticised for playing during the second wave of the pandemic. The Pakistan Super League was postponed when seven players tested positive. In India, the BCCI and franchises will remain steadfast. They would not want to cancel the tournament at the half-way stage. To complicate matters, there is no window available for the IPL to commence if postponed. Too much money and lack of another window makes postponing the IPL impossible.
The IPL and the players will have to forever live with the moral dilemma of playing at a time when the coronavirus second wave has decimated India. Yes, franchises are donating. They are carrying messages and frequently, there are appeals to stay safe and wear a mask. But, canceling a tournament like this takes immense courage. That is something that the BCCI, franchises, players, and Indian cricket fans (a fair majority of them) lack. The show must go on. It may seem macabre. But, the coronavirus is presenting us with new definitions of ‘normalcy’.
