IPL 2021 sees an abnormal 'new normal' in COVID-19 pandemic as matches and burning pyres collide side-by-side

Delhi is witnessing abnormal times. The summer heat is stifling the population. The city is being hit hard by the coronavirus. Recently, an aerial photo from a drone went viral where there were many funeral pyres being lit. The aerial shot has symbolised the grief the city is undergoing in the coronavirus pandemic. At the same time, at the Arun Jaitley stadium, there was a cricket match taking place between Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad. The celebrations are not over the top. There is the normal positive cheer among teams.

Delhi is witnessing the happenings of reality and a parallel universe. Over 30,000 cases are being witnessed in India’s national capital daily. People are dying every day. Hospitals are overwhelmed and the medical system is collapsing. In a parallel universe, there are players in a bio-bubble. They are in a five-star hotel, getting tested regularly and ensured that they are the safest people on the planet.

This is an abnormal ‘new normal’. IPL 2021 has seen players withdraw. Some have questioned the expenditure, with one player stating how are franchises and governments spending so much on IPL? Some cricketers have donated to PM Cares. Others are delivering messages on social distancing and the need to wear masks. But, is this enough?

IPL excess in times of COVID-19?

One thing is very clear about IPL 2021. India averted the disaster in 2020 only because the first national lockdown was strictly imposed. In IPL 2021, despite no fans, the broader atmosphere of death and destruction has also made it a soft target. 

There are people who are in support of IPL being played. It offers mental respite for people who have been numbed by the daily update of the coronavirus deaths and cases. It gives a ray of hope for people who are suffering from mental anguish and they turn to sport for upliftment. In a twisted sense of irony, the IPL might force people to stay more at home. Something that governments and agencies have stressed upon. More importantly, the IPL is providing plenty of jobs, be it full-time or freelance for many sports journalists and in a small way, to the hospitality business.

But, can sports be oblivious of the fact that there is so much death and destruction in the country? 

Living in a COVID-19 IPL 2021 bubble within a bubble

For far too long, India’s sportsmen and establishments have put on the facade that sports must be played amidst the pandemic. Life must go on. India’s cricketers have not helped themselves by already being in a bubble much before the coronavirus bubble. Opinions beyond cricket is misinformed or factually wrong. The pro-government image of players has also not helped to a large extent.

The government, state or central, heard all the stakeholders and took the decision to hold the IPL. Thus, in hotspots like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai, the games have and will take place. The government, like the IPL, is at a crossroads. If they deny, sports and fans will suffer. If they allow, ordinary people who have nothing to do with the game will suffer. 

How legitimate is it for the parties to oppose IPL and for people who want the tournament to happen amidst the devastating wave? There is no middle ground. It is a stalemate. Sport and sportsmen are at the crossroads of morality. If they play or do not play, they will face the same issue.

The stalemate of what is right and wrong is the unfortunate comorbidity of the coronavirus in India. The IPL is one of the comorbidities. It is not responsible for it. Unfortunately, it is becoming one of the central symbols in the coronavirus wave in India currently.