BCCI donates Rs 51 crore to PM's CARES Fund to combat COVID-19 pandemic

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday donated a sum of Rs 51 crore to Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) to help the Indian government in their effort to fight back against the COVID-19 pandemic.

BCCI on Saturday (March 28) had pledged to support the Indian government in their fight against COVID-19 as entire India continues to remain in lockdown for a 21-day period. On Monday, the apex board confirmed their donation as they shared the receipt of the transaction by taking to social media platform Twitter.

“As pledged, BCCI has contributed INR 51 crores to Hon'ble Prime Minister @narendramodi Ji’s initiative PM-CARES Fund. #IndiaFightsCorona,” BCCI tweeted on Monday.

Cricketers like Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Gautam Gambhir, Irfan and Yusuf Pathan, among many more, have come out to support the Indian government by donating their bit in a bid to fight back against COVID-19.

They have been active on social media platforms and have kept their fans and followers engaged by posting videos and photographs. They have further urged everyone to remain at home and follow the health advisory by the Indian government.

Meanwhile, the BCCI is mulling over the cancellation of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While the 13th edition of IPL was initially postponed till April 14, the 21-day lockdown, travel restrictions and the entire situation surrounding the novel coronavirus have made the likelihood of conducting IPL 2020 highly improbable.

While nothing has been confirmed by the BCCI yet, the latest reports state that the IPL 2020 will be cancelled with no mega auction next season.