How viable is conducting IPL 2022? COVID cases in Delhi camp rise to six

Delhi Capitals have reported six COVID-19 cases so far. The team is scheduled to play the Punjab Kings at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai on Wednesday. Amid the rising case count, BCCI faces a tough question – Is conducting IPL 2022 viable?

As per PTI sources, New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Seifert is the latest DC player to test positive for coronavirus. He will be isolating. With a sixth case in the Delhi camp, their match against Mayank Agarwal’s men seems in jeopardy. 

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Seifert had trained with the team on Tuesday, after the BCCI had shifted the venue from Pune to Mumbai amid the COVID scare. The Indian cricket board, as per the Indian Express, informed the Delhi Capitals that players will be tested before the game in a door-to-door manner. The report added that the match will be played with those players whose test reports return negative and the rest of the team and support staff will be tested later.

Mitchell Marsh and physio Patrick Farhart had also tested positive earlier this week. The Australian all-rounder played on Saturday against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Social media users have already posting tweets about cancelling or postponing the cash-rich league this year. ‘Cancel IPL’ was trending on Twitter after Marsh’s positive result. 

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“Cancel the IPL..There are more important things in this world,” one Twitter user said. 

“Cancel ipl. Mi vs Csk final right away. Couldn’t be any better season than this ?,” another one said. 

The BCCI guidelines state that if a franchise is unable to field a team for any match due to having less than 12 Players available – 11 in the playing XI (of which at least 7 must be Indian) plus 1 substitute fielder, the board will attempt to reschedule the match for later in the season. “If this is not possible, the issue will be referred to the IPL Technical Committee.”

A seven-day re-quarantine or such other period as may be provided in the Health & Safety Protocols during IPL 2022 (without pay for the number of matches missed) if a player breaches COVID-19 guidelines. 

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“One match suspension (without pay) to take effect after the completion of the 7 day re-quarantine or such period re-quarantine as may be provided in the Health & Safety Protocols during IPL 2022 (without pay),” the BCCI states. 

IPL was suspended last year after multiple COVID cases were reported across team camps. The season was held, in a second-leg, in the UAE months later. 

Now, with 2,067 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 4,30,47,594 while the active cases increased to 12,340, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The Delhi government made wearing of mask mandatory in public places and imposed a fine of Rs 500 on violators. However, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Wednesday said the COVID-19 situation in the state is under control and there is no need to panic. The IPL is majorly being conducted in the state. 

Maharashtra on Tuesday reported 137 COVID-19 cases and three deaths that raised the state’s tally to 78,76,041 and the toll to 1,47,830.

The BCCI had said that it was set to lose about Rs 2000 crore when the IPL was suspended in 2021. This year, the board increased the event coverage limit by 25% to Rs 5,000 crore compared to Rs 4,000 crore in the previous year. However, the insuarance company said that the cover will not be applicable to the COVID pandemic.