A COVID-19 outbreak has sent the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 schedule into complete disarray, as the Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) Monday fixture
against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) was postponed after Varun Chakravarthy and Sandip Warrier tested COVID-19 positive.

The match, slated to be played in Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi
Stadium, will now have to be rescheduled by the Board of Cricket Control in
India (BCCI), potentially leading to a total shakeup of the league itinerary this
year.

Also read: KKR vs RCB match rescheduled after 2 members in Kolkata camp test positive for COVID-19

KKR are not the only squad to be affected by the coronavirus,
as two Chennai Super Kings players and one staff member also tested COVID-19
positive on Monday, leading to the three-time champions cancelling their
practice session in New Delhi on the same day, ANI reported.

The Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings
and Chennai Super Kings, the sides Knights have played against in the last 14
days, have all been asked to self-isolate by their respective franchises, according to a report in the Indian Express.

How can the fixture issue be worked out?

The league in 2021 started out with 11 double headers
between teams. In view of the situation at hand, number of double handers can possibly
be increased by the BCCI.

Also read: Cricket Australia donates $50,000 to help in India’s COVID fight

As per the report, both the teams mentioned above and KKR
will be conducting daily tests of their players, and that a hospital has been roped
in to deliver same-day test results.

What about an extension?

The IPL holds a limited window, and the final of the tournament
has been scheduled by the BCCI to take place on May 30. An extension might see
a stretch on to early June, but that, at the moment, is not confirmed and remains
a possibility.

Also read: Watch: PBKS’ Mayank Agarwal, Deepak Hooda’s mix-up leading to terrible run-out

A timing problem might also arise due to the fact that the
World Test Championship finals between India and New Zealand is scheduled to take
place between June 18 and 22 in England, in which case, the Indian Test squad
would need adequate time for training and rest before getting into the contest.