From Virat Kohli to Mary Kom - Sportspersons and state authorities who have donated to help India fight 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.&nbsp;

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.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-anushka-sharma-donate-to-pms-cares-fund-to-fight-covid-19-pandemic-289423">Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma donate to PM's CARES Fund to fight COVID-19 pandemic</a>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
As pledged, BCCI has contributed INR 51 crores to hon’ble Prime Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> Ji’s initiative PM-CARES Fund.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaFightsCorona?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaFightsCorona</a> - <a href="https://twitter.com/JayShah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JayShah</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SGanguly99?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SGanguly99</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ThakurArunS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ThakurArunS</a> <a href="https://t.co/5Ih33JvSHs">pic.twitter.com/5Ih33JvSHs</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1244572080978284544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
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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.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-wanted-to-earn-rs-30-lakh-and-spend-rest-of-his-life-in-ranchi-says-wasim-jaffer-289432">MS Dhoni wanted to earn Rs 30 lakh and spend rest of his life in Ranchi, says Wasim Jaffer</a>

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.&nbsp;

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. 
&nbsp;

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.

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. ALSO READ: Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma donate to PM's CARES Fund to fight COVID-19 pandemic As pledged, BCCI has contributed INR 51 crores to hon’ble Prime Minister @narendramodi Ji’s initiative PM-CARES Fund.#IndiaFightsCorona - @JayShah @SGanguly99 @ThakurArunS pic.twitter.com/5Ih33JvSHs — BCCI (@BCCI) March 30, 2020 × 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. ALSO READ: MS Dhoni wanted to earn Rs 30 lakh and spend rest of his life in Ranchi, says Wasim Jaffer 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.

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

BCCI should not "wait forever" to start the women's IPL, said India women's ODI captain Mithali Raj, urging the board to make it happen next year on a smaller scale before gradually developing it.

"I personally feel they should start a women's IPL by next year, even if it's on a slightly smaller scale and with some changes in rules, such as, say, have five to six foreign players in the first edition instead of four as is the case with the men's IPL," Raj told 'ESPNCricinfo'

After India lost the T20 World Cup in the finals earlier this month, former skipper Sunil Gavaskar had called for a full-fledged women's IPL from next year to unearth talent.

In 2019, a three-team women's tournament was held featuring sides called IPL Velocity, IPL Trailblazers and IPL Supernovas.

This year, the BCCI had decided to organise a four-team women's T20 challenge to run parallel to the men's IPL playoffs, but now it has been put on hold along with the main event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

India don't have enough women cricketers for a full-fledged IPL but Raj said it can still be conducted if existing IPL franchises own teams to begin the process.

"I agree we don't have the depth in the domestic pool yet, but the key is to get the existing franchises to form teams, even if (only) five or six of them are keen to begin the process because in any case, the BCCI was going to have four teams," she said.

"You cannot wait forever; you have to begin at some point, and gradually, year by year, you can keep evolving the league and then bring it down to four foreign players."

Raj also said that teen sensation Shafali Verma, who impressed with the bat in the T20 World Cup, should be included in the ODIs too. 
"It's not a bad idea to consider her for the ODIs. She is young but that should not be a criterion for not giving her opportunities in the ODI side," she said.

BCCI should not "wait forever" to start the women's IPL, said India women's ODI captain Mithali Raj, urging the board to make it happen next year on a smaller scale before gradually developing it.

BCCI should not "wait forever" to start the women's IPL, said India women's ODI captain Mithali Raj, urging the board to make it happen next year on a smaller scale before gradually developing it. "I personally feel they should start a women's IPL by next year, even if it's on a slightly smaller scale and with some changes in rules, such as, say, have five to six foreign players in the first edition instead of four as is the case with the men's IPL," Raj told 'ESPNCricinfo' After India lost the T20 World Cup in the finals earlier this month, former skipper Sunil Gavaskar had called for a full-fledged women's IPL from next year to unearth talent. In 2019, a three-team women's tournament was held featuring sides called IPL Velocity, IPL Trailblazers and IPL Supernovas. This year, the BCCI had decided to organise a four-team women's T20 challenge to run parallel to the men's IPL playoffs, but now it has been put on hold along with the main event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. India don't have enough women cricketers for a full-fledged IPL but Raj said it can still be conducted if existing IPL franchises own teams to begin the process. "I agree we don't have the depth in the domestic pool yet, but the key is to get the existing franchises to form teams, even if (only) five or six of them are keen to begin the process because in any case, the BCCI was going to have four teams," she said. "You cannot wait forever; you have to begin at some point, and gradually, year by year, you can keep evolving the league and then bring it down to four foreign players." Raj also said that teen sensation Shafali Verma, who impressed with the bat in the T20 World Cup, should be included in the ODIs too. "It's not a bad idea to consider her for the ODIs. She is young but that should not be a criterion for not giving her opportunities in the ODI side," she said.

Mithali Raj wants women's IPL next year, says BCCI shouldn't wait forever

The BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has come forward in support of those affected by the 21-day lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic, pledging to donate rice worth Rs 50 lakh for the underprivileged.

Ganguly along with Lal Baba Rice will provide for the needy people who have been put in government schools for safety and security, the Cricket Association of Bengal announced in a statement.

"Hope this initiative of Ganguly would encourage other citizens of the state to take up similar initiatives to serve the people of our state," the statement from the company added.

The 1.3-billion populated India has gone into a total lockdown from midnight in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 virus and CAB secretary Snehashis Ganguly hailed the unprecedented step.

There have been 600 confirmed cases across India and 10 reported deaths as the world's second-most populous country's coronavirus graph was on the rise.

Worldwide about 400,000 people have tested positive for the virus, while the toll is around 17,000

The BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has come forward in support of those affected by the 21-day lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic, pledging to donate rice worth Rs 50 lakh for the underprivileged.

The BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has come forward in support of those affected by the 21-day lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic, pledging to donate rice worth Rs 50 lakh for the underprivileged. Ganguly along with Lal Baba Rice will provide for the needy people who have been put in government schools for safety and security, the Cricket Association of Bengal announced in a statement. "Hope this initiative of Ganguly would encourage other citizens of the state to take up similar initiatives to serve the people of our state," the statement from the company added. The 1.3-billion populated India has gone into a total lockdown from midnight in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 virus and CAB secretary Snehashis Ganguly hailed the unprecedented step. There have been 600 confirmed cases across India and 10 reported deaths as the world's second-most populous country's coronavirus graph was on the rise. Worldwide about 400,000 people have tested positive for the virus, while the toll is around 17,000

BCCI president Ganguly to donate rice worth Rs 50 lakh for underprivileged

The Board of Control for BCCI (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly on Tuesday said that he ‘can’t say anything’ about the fate of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 amid the nationwide lockdown as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to deteriorate with each passing day.&nbsp;

The BCCI had suspended the IPL from March 29 to April 15 after the Indian government suspended all visas, barring diplomatic and employment, which made it impossible for foreign players to participate in the cash-rich tournament. Furthermore, the government suspended all international and domestic flights in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19.&nbsp;

"I can't say anything at the moment. We are at the same place where we were on the day we postponed. Nothing has changed in the last 10 days. So, I don't have an answer to it. Status quo remains," Ganguly told PTI on Tuesday.

The former Indian skipper also ruled out the possibility of holding IPL 2020 later in the year given the situation surrounding the novel coronavirus improves in the coming months.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-set-to-move-to-2021-as-japan-pm-shinzo-abe-proposes-one-year-delay-288259">Tokyo Olympics set to move to 2021 as Japan PM Shinzo Abe proposes one-year delay</a>

"You can't plan anything. The FTP is scheduled. It's there and you can't change the FTP. All around the world, cricket and more so sports have stopped," he said.

Ganguly also expressed his doubts on whether the losses that all stakeholders will suffer could be covered by insurance.&nbsp;

"I am not sure whether you can get insurance money. Because this is a government lockdown. I am not sure whether a government lockdown is covered by insurance or not.

"We will have to see. We have not assessed all these things. At this point of time, it is very difficult for me to give any concrete answer," Ganguly said.

BCCI, also the world’s richest cricket board, has not yet provided any donations to fight back against the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Ganguly said that he will have a discussion with BCCI Secretary Jay Shah to chalk out the best options.&nbsp;

"I haven't had a discussion with Jay. Let's see. We will assess the situation, follow directives and see what happens," he said.

"If the government asks us, we will certainly hand over the facility. Anything that is need of the hour, we will do it. There is absolutely no problem," he asserted.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-set-to-have-preliminary-discussions-on-icc-t20-world-cup-on-march-29-as-covid-19-continues-to-impact-global-sports-288248">ICC set to have preliminary discussions on ICC T20 World Cup on March 29 as COVID-19 continues to impact global sports</a>

The BCCI president is of the view that complete lockdown is the best possible option at the current moment while adding whatever advisory the government and health ministry is issuing, everyone will have to follow it.&nbsp;

"I think this is the best option at the current moment. Certain things are beyond anybody's control. Whatever directives that the government and ministry of health give us, we have to follow. That's the case all over the world. I don't know after how many years I am home on weekdays. Even during my busy schedule, I have had Sundays off but this is so different," he said. 
&nbsp;

The Board of Control for BCCI (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly on Tuesday said that he ‘can’t say anything’ about the fate of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 amid the nationwide lockdown as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to deteriorate with each passing day.

The Board of Control for BCCI (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly on Tuesday said that he ‘can’t say anything’ about the fate of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 amid the nationwide lockdown as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to deteriorate with each passing day. The BCCI had suspended the IPL from March 29 to April 15 after the Indian government suspended all visas, barring diplomatic and employment, which made it impossible for foreign players to participate in the cash-rich tournament. Furthermore, the government suspended all international and domestic flights in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19. "I can't say anything at the moment. We are at the same place where we were on the day we postponed. Nothing has changed in the last 10 days. So, I don't have an answer to it. Status quo remains," Ganguly told PTI on Tuesday. The former Indian skipper also ruled out the possibility of holding IPL 2020 later in the year given the situation surrounding the novel coronavirus improves in the coming months. ALSO READ: Tokyo Olympics set to move to 2021 as Japan PM Shinzo Abe proposes one-year delay "You can't plan anything. The FTP is scheduled. It's there and you can't change the FTP. All around the world, cricket and more so sports have stopped," he said. Ganguly also expressed his doubts on whether the losses that all stakeholders will suffer could be covered by insurance. "I am not sure whether you can get insurance money. Because this is a government lockdown. I am not sure whether a government lockdown is covered by insurance or not. "We will have to see. We have not assessed all these things. At this point of time, it is very difficult for me to give any concrete answer," Ganguly said. BCCI, also the world’s richest cricket board, has not yet provided any donations to fight back against the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Ganguly said that he will have a discussion with BCCI Secretary Jay Shah to chalk out the best options. "I haven't had a discussion with Jay. Let's see. We will assess the situation, follow directives and see what happens," he said. "If the government asks us, we will certainly hand over the facility. Anything that is need of the hour, we will do it. There is absolutely no problem," he asserted. ALSO READ: ICC set to have preliminary discussions on ICC T20 World Cup on March 29 as COVID-19 continues to impact global sports The BCCI president is of the view that complete lockdown is the best possible option at the current moment while adding whatever advisory the government and health ministry is issuing, everyone will have to follow it. "I think this is the best option at the current moment. Certain things are beyond anybody's control. Whatever directives that the government and ministry of health give us, we have to follow. That's the case all over the world. I don't know after how many years I am home on weekdays. Even during my busy schedule, I have had Sundays off but this is so different," he said.

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly opens up on fate of IPL 2020, says 'can't say anything at the moment'

The novel coronavirus has left the entire world in a stand-still. While the worldwide economy has taken a massive hit, the sporting calendar has been left shattered as well. Almost every sporting event has been cancelled or postponed with all eyes on the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, which was earlier suspended until April 15. However, with the situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to deteriorate with each passing day, the chances are extremely slim that the cash-rich tournament will go ahead after April 15.&nbsp;

As per a report, IPL 2020 might even not happen this year considering the current scenario due to the novel coronavirus. If the cash-rich tournament doesn’t take place in 2020 then the BCCI will take a massive hit on an approximate revenue of INR 2000 crore whereas the eight participating franchises could lose around IJNR 100 crore each.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-2020-to-be-postponed-by-a-year-due-to-covid-19-pandemic-288146">Tokyo Olympics 2020 to be postponed by a year due to COVID-19 pandemic</a>

<h2>"IPL this year might not happen"</h2>

“Given the present situation, I feel the IPL this year might not happen. That’s what it looks like,” a franchise official told a leading daily.

Whereas there’s a sense of unclarity and confusion in the BCCI as no one knows when the travel and visa restrictions will be normalized.&nbsp;

“Nobody has clarity about the future. We don’t know when travel restrictions/visa restrictions will go, when things will settle down. Till then, there’s no point (thinking about the IPL),” a top BCCI official said.

PHOTO GALLERY:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/how-much-will-the-ipl-2020-lose-if-it-gets-shelved-due-to-covid-19-286896#board-of-control-for-cricket-in-india-38979">How much will the IPL 2020 lose if it gets shelved due to COVID-19?</a>

However, the biggest hurdle for IPL will be to bring the overseas players on the same ship. While the coronavirus outbreak has taken almost the entire world under its dreaded wings, some big-name players could opt out of the tournament if it goes ahead in 2020.

“And even if it settles down here but continues in some other country… we are not clear about that also. Japan, the host nation of the Olympics, is talking about a possible postponement. This (the outbreak) is far bigger than any sport or the IPL,” the BCCI official said.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/going-toe-to-toe-in-the-gym-herschelle-gibbs-picks-virat-kohli-as-his-quarantine-partner-288118">'Going toe to toe in the gym' - Herschelle Gibbs picks Virat Kohli as his quarantine partner</a>

“At the moment, you can’t start thinking about anything. This (the Coronavirus problem) has to end and only then you can go back to the drawing board,” the BCCI official added.

The number of positive cases for COVID-19 has crossed the 450-mark in India with as many as 30 states/UTs have been placed under complete lockdown in a bid to curb the spread of the deadly virus. 
&nbsp;

The novel coronavirus has left the entire world in a stand-still. While the worldwide economy has taken a massive hit, the sporting calendar has been left shattered as well.

The novel coronavirus has left the entire world in a stand-still. While the worldwide economy has taken a massive hit, the sporting calendar has been left shattered as well. Almost every sporting event has been cancelled or postponed with all eyes on the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, which was earlier suspended until April 15. However, with the situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to deteriorate with each passing day, the chances are extremely slim that the cash-rich tournament will go ahead after April 15. As per a report, IPL 2020 might even not happen this year considering the current scenario due to the novel coronavirus. If the cash-rich tournament doesn’t take place in 2020 then the BCCI will take a massive hit on an approximate revenue of INR 2000 crore whereas the eight participating franchises could lose around IJNR 100 crore each. ALSO READ: Tokyo Olympics 2020 to be postponed by a year due to COVID-19 pandemic "IPL this year might not happen" “Given the present situation, I feel the IPL this year might not happen. That’s what it looks like,” a franchise official told a leading daily. Whereas there’s a sense of unclarity and confusion in the BCCI as no one knows when the travel and visa restrictions will be normalized. “Nobody has clarity about the future. We don’t know when travel restrictions/visa restrictions will go, when things will settle down. Till then, there’s no point (thinking about the IPL),” a top BCCI official said. PHOTO GALLERY: How much will the IPL 2020 lose if it gets shelved due to COVID-19? However, the biggest hurdle for IPL will be to bring the overseas players on the same ship. While the coronavirus outbreak has taken almost the entire world under its dreaded wings, some big-name players could opt out of the tournament if it goes ahead in 2020. “And even if it settles down here but continues in some other country… we are not clear about that also. Japan, the host nation of the Olympics, is talking about a possible postponement. This (the outbreak) is far bigger than any sport or the IPL,” the BCCI official said. ALSO READ: 'Going toe to toe in the gym' - Herschelle Gibbs picks Virat Kohli as his quarantine partner “At the moment, you can’t start thinking about anything. This (the Coronavirus problem) has to end and only then you can go back to the drawing board,” the BCCI official added. The number of positive cases for COVID-19 has crossed the 450-mark in India with as many as 30 states/UTs have been placed under complete lockdown in a bid to curb the spread of the deadly virus.

IPL 2020 unlikely to happen this year; BCCI could lose Rs 2000cr, franchises Rs 100cr each

The dark clouds hovering over the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 became darker on Tuesday as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday cancelled a conference call with the franchise owners to discuss the future of the cash-rich tournament amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

IPL 2020 is also looking towards a possible cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the situation surrounding the deadly virus continues to deteriorate. In India, over 450 positive cases and nine deaths have been reported as of Tuesday and almost the entire country is under complete lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

<h2>"Humanity first, everything else comes second"</h2>

“...humanity first, everything else comes second. The situation has not improved so there is no point in even talking about it. If IPL doesn’t happen so be it,” Kings XI Punjab co-owner Ness Wadia told PTI.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2020-unlikely-to-happen-this-year-bcci-could-lose-inr-2000cr-franchises-100cr-each-288189">IPL 2020 unlikely to happen this year; BCCI could lose INR 2000cr, franchises 100cr each</a>

”There is no point in discussing anything at this point. The whole country is in lockdown. We have to deal with matters much more important than IPL,” added another franchise official, who did not wish to be named.

IPL 2020 was previously scheduled to start on March 29 but was suspended until April 15 given the coronavirus crisis all over the world. Wadia is of the view that everything is irrelevant at the moment because the entire world is fighting against the novel coronavirus

“I can’t even think about the IPL at this point. It is irrelevant along with everything else. The only thing which is relevant is in what we are living in and it is a world war three situation where we are fighting to help so many people,” Wadia said.

“The government has taken decisive steps. We often criticise the government but for the proactive steps, they have taken we should applaud them. A country as big as India has suspended all flights. That is a very massive and positive step,” he added.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-2020-to-be-postponed-by-a-year-due-to-covid-19-pandemic-288146">Tokyo Olympics 2020 to be postponed by a year due to COVID-19 pandemic</a>

Whereas a BCCI official has said that IPL is a much smaller event as compared to the Olympics and if the Tokyo Games can be postponed by a year then the cash-rich tournament is nothing in front of it.

“If Olympics can be postponed by a year, IPL is a much smaller entity in that regard. It is becoming increasingly difficult to organise. At this point the government is not even thinking about allowing foreign visas,” a BCCI official in the know of things said.

Meanwhile, every stakeholder is in discussion to control the financial damage with insurance companies and broadcasters. As per reports, BCCI is set to lose out on an approximate INR 2000cr of revenue whereas each franchise will lose out on INR 100cr.

<o:p></o:p>

The dark clouds hovering over the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 became darker on Tuesday as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday cancelled a conference call with the franchise owners to discuss the future of the cash-rich tournament amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The dark clouds hovering over the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 became darker on Tuesday as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday cancelled a conference call with the franchise owners to discuss the future of the cash-rich tournament amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. IPL 2020 is also looking towards a possible cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the situation surrounding the deadly virus continues to deteriorate. In India, over 450 positive cases and nine deaths have been reported as of Tuesday and almost the entire country is under complete lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "Humanity first, everything else comes second" “...humanity first, everything else comes second. The situation has not improved so there is no point in even talking about it. If IPL doesn’t happen so be it,” Kings XI Punjab co-owner Ness Wadia told PTI. ALSO READ: IPL 2020 unlikely to happen this year; BCCI could lose INR 2000cr, franchises 100cr each ”There is no point in discussing anything at this point. The whole country is in lockdown. We have to deal with matters much more important than IPL,” added another franchise official, who did not wish to be named. IPL 2020 was previously scheduled to start on March 29 but was suspended until April 15 given the coronavirus crisis all over the world. Wadia is of the view that everything is irrelevant at the moment because the entire world is fighting against the novel coronavirus “I can’t even think about the IPL at this point. It is irrelevant along with everything else. The only thing which is relevant is in what we are living in and it is a world war three situation where we are fighting to help so many people,” Wadia said. “The government has taken decisive steps. We often criticise the government but for the proactive steps, they have taken we should applaud them. A country as big as India has suspended all flights. That is a very massive and positive step,” he added. ALSO READ: Tokyo Olympics 2020 to be postponed by a year due to COVID-19 pandemic Whereas a BCCI official has said that IPL is a much smaller event as compared to the Olympics and if the Tokyo Games can be postponed by a year then the cash-rich tournament is nothing in front of it. “If Olympics can be postponed by a year, IPL is a much smaller entity in that regard. It is becoming increasingly difficult to organise. At this point the government is not even thinking about allowing foreign visas,” a BCCI official in the know of things said. Meanwhile, every stakeholder is in discussion to control the financial damage with insurance companies and broadcasters. As per reports, BCCI is set to lose out on an approximate INR 2000cr of revenue whereas each franchise will lose out on INR 100cr.

BCCI cancels con-call with franchise owners as fate of IPL 2020 hangs by thin thread due to COVID-19 pandemic

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking to schedule the highly anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 in July and September. While IPL 2020 was earlier set to kickstart from March 29, the novel coronavirus pandemic has left the sporting calendar in tatters, forcing the authorities to suspend the cash-rich tournament until April 15.

There have been talks of a truncated IPL 2020 with a shortened playing window and it looked like the authorities had a proper 'Plan B' on cards. However, as per a leading daily, as things have been developing, it seems the Indian cricket board is looking for a complete tournament consisting as many as 60 matches, if not now then on a later window, if not in India then overseas, if not with the complete pool of foreign players then some.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/where-will-ms-dhoni-fit-in-virender-sehwag-wants-team-india-to-continue-with-kl-rahul-and-rishabh-pant-287132">'Where will MS Dhoni fit in?' - Virender Sehwag wants Team India to continue with KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant</a>

The Future Tours Programme (FTP), which is cricket's annual calendar, for the year 2020 has not many significant tournaments or bilateral series between July and September barring the Asia Cup T20, scheduled to be played in September. Pakistan versus England, and Ireland versus England, in the limited-overs circuit, are two bilateral series falling in the July-September bracket.

However, the likes of Australia, West Indies, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, don't have a packed window barring the last three's participation in the Asia Cup T20.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/coronavirus-effects-cricket-ipl-2020-franchises-up-for-quarantining-foreign-players-if-needed-287023">Coronavirus effects cricket: IPL 2020 franchises up for quarantining foreign players if needed</a>

Going by Team India's calendar, the Virat Kohli-led outfit is scheduled to play just three ODIs and as many T20Is in Sri Lanka in June/July.

It will be interesting to see what decision BCCI takes given how the situation surrounding the novel coronavirus pans out in the coming weeks.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking to schedule the highly anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 in July and September. While IPL 2020 was earlier set to kickstart from March 29, the novel coronavirus pandemic has left the sporting calendar in tatters, forcing the authorities to suspend the cash-rich tournament until April 15.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking to schedule the highly anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 in July and September. While IPL 2020 was earlier set to kickstart from March 29, the novel coronavirus pandemic has left the sporting calendar in tatters, forcing the authorities to suspend the cash-rich tournament until April 15. There have been talks of a truncated IPL 2020 with a shortened playing window and it looked like the authorities had a proper 'Plan B' on cards. However, as per a leading daily, as things have been developing, it seems the Indian cricket board is looking for a complete tournament consisting as many as 60 matches, if not now then on a later window, if not in India then overseas, if not with the complete pool of foreign players then some. ALSO READ: 'Where will MS Dhoni fit in?' - Virender Sehwag wants Team India to continue with KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant The Future Tours Programme (FTP), which is cricket's annual calendar, for the year 2020 has not many significant tournaments or bilateral series between July and September barring the Asia Cup T20, scheduled to be played in September. Pakistan versus England, and Ireland versus England, in the limited-overs circuit, are two bilateral series falling in the July-September bracket. However, the likes of Australia, West Indies, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, don't have a packed window barring the last three's participation in the Asia Cup T20. ALSO READ: Coronavirus effects cricket: IPL 2020 franchises up for quarantining foreign players if needed Going by Team India's calendar, the Virat Kohli-led outfit is scheduled to play just three ODIs and as many T20Is in Sri Lanka in June/July. It will be interesting to see what decision BCCI takes given how the situation surrounding the novel coronavirus pans out in the coming weeks.

Coronavirus pandemic: BCCI looking to conduct IPL 2020 in July-September window

How much will the IPL 2020 lose if it gets shelved due to COVID-19?

BCCI has decided to drop the former Indian batsmen turned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar from their commentary panel. Sanjay Manjrekar took to Twitter to share his reaction over the decision taken by BCCI.

Manjrekar tweeted: "I have always considered commentary as a great privilege, but never an entitlement. It is up to my employers whether they choose to have me or not &amp; I will always respect that. Maybe BCCI has not been happy with my performance of late. I accept that as a professional."

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I have always considered commentary as a great privilege, but never an entitlement. It is up to my employers whether they choose to have me or not &amp; I will always respect that. Maybe BCCI has not been happy with my performance of late. I accept that as a professional.
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) <a href="https://twitter.com/sanjaymanjrekar/status/1239163465391951872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Sanjay Manjrekar is expected to miss out the IPL 2020 following BCCI's decision. Chennai Super Kings took a dig at the former commentator after his last year's comment on CSK all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.

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Need not hear the audio feed in bits and pieces anymore. 🦁💛
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL/status/1238776288623464448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
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During his tenure as a commentator, Manjrekar has been involved in several controversies. His "bits and pieces player" comment on Jadeja grabbed all attention as the prolific all-rounder lashed out on the commentator.

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Still i have played twice the number of matches you have played and i m still playing. Learn to respect ppl who have achieved.i have heard enough of your verbal diarrhoea.<a href="https://twitter.com/sanjaymanjrekar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sanjaymanjrekar</a>
— Ravindrasinh jadeja (@imjadeja) <a href="https://twitter.com/imjadeja/status/1146409711220285440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Another controversy occurred during the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup which was held in England and Wales where&nbsp;a cricket fan had filed complained to ICC about Sanjay Manjrekar's commentary. The fan called his commentary "biased".

Manjrekar was involved in a heated argument while being on-air with cricket expert Harsha Bhogle during a match.

Following BCCI's decision, Manjrekar was not seen in Dharamsala where India was set to face the Proteas for the first one day match of the three-match ODI series.

BCCI has decided to drop the former Indian batsmen turned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar from their commentary panel. Sanjay Manjrekar took to Twitter to share his reaction over the decision taken by BCCI.

BCCI has decided to drop the former Indian batsmen turned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar from their commentary panel. Sanjay Manjrekar took to Twitter to share his reaction over the decision taken by BCCI. Manjrekar tweeted: "I have always considered commentary as a great privilege, but never an entitlement. It is up to my employers whether they choose to have me or not & I will always respect that. Maybe BCCI has not been happy with my performance of late. I accept that as a professional." I have always considered commentary as a great privilege, but never an entitlement. It is up to my employers whether they choose to have me or not & I will always respect that. Maybe BCCI has not been happy with my performance of late. I accept that as a professional. — Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) March 15, 2020 × Sanjay Manjrekar is expected to miss out the IPL 2020 following BCCI's decision. Chennai Super Kings took a dig at the former commentator after his last year's comment on CSK all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Need not hear the audio feed in bits and pieces anymore. 🦁💛 — Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 14, 2020 × During his tenure as a commentator, Manjrekar has been involved in several controversies. His "bits and pieces player" comment on Jadeja grabbed all attention as the prolific all-rounder lashed out on the commentator. Still i have played twice the number of matches you have played and i m still playing. Learn to respect ppl who have achieved.i have heard enough of your verbal diarrhoea.@sanjaymanjrekar — Ravindrasinh jadeja (@imjadeja) July 3, 2019 × Another controversy occurred during the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup which was held in England and Wales where a cricket fan had filed complained to ICC about Sanjay Manjrekar's commentary. The fan called his commentary "biased". Manjrekar was involved in a heated argument while being on-air with cricket expert Harsha Bhogle during a match. Following BCCI's decision, Manjrekar was not seen in Dharamsala where India was set to face the Proteas for the first one day match of the three-match ODI series.

Maybe BCCI has not been happy, says Sanjay Manjrekar on being dropped from commentary panel

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the BCCI to shut down its headquarter in Mumbai from Tuesday with its employees being told to work from home. It has been learnt that the employees have been asked to "work from home" with all the cricketing operations already being suspended till further notice.

"The BCCI employees were today notified that the headquarters at the Wankhede Stadium will be shut down in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. All the staffers have been told to work from home," a top source from the Board told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

The BCCI has already postponed the IPL-13 till April 15 along with all other domestic tournaments, including the Irani Cup and women's Challenger Trophy. 
India has so far reported 114 positive cases with two deaths. The global death toll has crossed 6,000 and the number of infected is over 160,000

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the BCCI to shut down its headquarter in Mumbai from Tuesday with its employees being told to work from home. It has been learnt that the employees have been asked to "work from home" with all the cricketing operations already being suspended till further notice.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the BCCI to shut down its headquarter in Mumbai from Tuesday with its employees being told to work from home. It has been learnt that the employees have been asked to "work from home" with all the cricketing operations already being suspended till further notice. "The BCCI employees were today notified that the headquarters at the Wankhede Stadium will be shut down in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. All the staffers have been told to work from home," a top source from the Board told PTI on conditions of anonymity. The BCCI has already postponed the IPL-13 till April 15 along with all other domestic tournaments, including the Irani Cup and women's Challenger Trophy. India has so far reported 114 positive cases with two deaths. The global death toll has crossed 6,000 and the number of infected is over 160,000

BCCI to shut down office, employees told to work from home

With the novel coronavirus spreading like a wildfire, the entire sporting world has come to a halt. In India, at least 110 person have been tested positive for the COVID-19 with new cases surfacing&nbsp;with each passing day. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) not only decided to suspend the highly-anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 until April 15 while suspending the entire domestic season until further notice.

Senior Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma on Monday took to social media platform Twitter to post a heartfelt message for all those infected by the novel coronavirus while also providing precautionary measures for all his fans. Rohit posted a video on Twitter as he captioned it: "Stay safe everyone."

Rohit, in the video, said that only unity can help everyone defeat the novel coronavirus while adding everyone has to be smart in knowing their surroundings. The 'Hitman' further said that if anyone gets any sort of symptoms related to the COVID-19, then he/she should inform the nearest medical authorities on an immediate basis. Rohit concluded by thanking the doctors who have put their lives at risk to battle out the novel coronavirus.

"Hello everyone, Rohit Sharma here. I just wanted to talk about a few things. The last few weeks have been tough times for all of us and the world has come to a standstill which is very very sad to see and the only way we can comeback to normal is by all of us coming together. How we can do this? We can do this by being a little smart, little proactive, knowing our surroundings and when you get any symptoms, inform your nearest medical authorities because we all want kids to go to schools, we all want to go to the malls, we all want to watch movies in the theatres," Rohit said in the video.

"I appreciate the efforts by the doctors, who have put their lives at risk while taking care of the people who have tested positive. Last but not the least, my heart goes out to those who have lost their lives and their families. Take care and be safe," he added.

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Stay safe everyone. <a href="https://t.co/2ABy1XUeTP">pic.twitter.com/2ABy1XUeTP</a>
— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImRo45/status/1239446865638129664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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With all cricketing action suspended due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, Rohit is likely to be seen in action when IPL 2020 action resumes after April 15. Rohit will be seen captaining Mumbai Indians and the four-time IPL winners will be looking to defend their title.

With the novel coronavirus spreading like a wildfire, the entire sporting world has come to a halt. In India, at least 110 person have been tested positive for the COVID-19 with new cases surfacing with each passing day.

With the novel coronavirus spreading like a wildfire, the entire sporting world has come to a halt. In India, at least 110 person have been tested positive for the COVID-19 with new cases surfacing with each passing day. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) not only decided to suspend the highly-anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 until April 15 while suspending the entire domestic season until further notice. Senior Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma on Monday took to social media platform Twitter to post a heartfelt message for all those infected by the novel coronavirus while also providing precautionary measures for all his fans. Rohit posted a video on Twitter as he captioned it: "Stay safe everyone." Rohit, in the video, said that only unity can help everyone defeat the novel coronavirus while adding everyone has to be smart in knowing their surroundings. The 'Hitman' further said that if anyone gets any sort of symptoms related to the COVID-19, then he/she should inform the nearest medical authorities on an immediate basis. Rohit concluded by thanking the doctors who have put their lives at risk to battle out the novel coronavirus. "Hello everyone, Rohit Sharma here. I just wanted to talk about a few things. The last few weeks have been tough times for all of us and the world has come to a standstill which is very very sad to see and the only way we can comeback to normal is by all of us coming together. How we can do this? We can do this by being a little smart, little proactive, knowing our surroundings and when you get any symptoms, inform your nearest medical authorities because we all want kids to go to schools, we all want to go to the malls, we all want to watch movies in the theatres," Rohit said in the video. "I appreciate the efforts by the doctors, who have put their lives at risk while taking care of the people who have tested positive. Last but not the least, my heart goes out to those who have lost their lives and their families. Take care and be safe," he added. Stay safe everyone. pic.twitter.com/2ABy1XUeTP — Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) March 16, 2020 × With all cricketing action suspended due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, Rohit is likely to be seen in action when IPL 2020 action resumes after April 15. Rohit will be seen captaining Mumbai Indians and the four-time IPL winners will be looking to defend their title.

WATCH: 'Stay safe everyone' - Rohit Sharma posts heartfelt message as coronavirus wreaks havoc

Indian Premier League's All-Star match&nbsp;has been stalled for time being. The All-Star game was proposed by BCCI and was scheduled to take place three days before IPL's opening match.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indian-premier-league-2020-to-bring-in-new-third-umpire-and-concussion-rule-bcci-277000">Indian Premier League 2020 to bring in new third umpire and concussion rule - BCCI</a>

According to Mumbai Mirror, IPL Franchises have been informally informed about the changes in the events. The match is likely to be stalled until the beginning of the tournament.&nbsp;

BCCI had planned an All-star match before the start of the IPL, the match would feature top international players. This match was supposed to be played for a charitable cause. The venue of the All-Stars game had not yet been decided.&nbsp;

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Here's a look at the TOP 10 BUYS 💰💰post some fierce bidding at the 2020 <a href="https://twitter.com/Vivo_India?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Vivo_India</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLAuction</a> 👌🤜🤛 <a href="https://t.co/wxuFnBx4fq">pic.twitter.com/wxuFnBx4fq</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1207695510565339136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The star-studded tournament will commence on March 29 with the first match will be played between previous editions finalists Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings and the final will be played on May 24. IPL 2020 will be the longest in its tournament history.&nbsp;

New rules and new format have been included in this year's IPL, According to the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, IPL will hold five double-header matches this year and these matches will be played on Sundays. &nbsp;Double-header means holding two matches in one day. The timing of these matches will be 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM.&nbsp;

The third umpire will be given the duty to check the exclusive no-balls, the on-field umpires will no longer make this decision. This formula was tried in the recent India-West Indies ODI series.&nbsp;

This year's IPL has a lot of expectation like always, IPL has seen a lot of ups and downs in the past. It has been a gateway for new emerging players to show their skills to the world. &nbsp;

Indian Premier League's All-Star match has been stalled for time being. The All-Star game was proposed by BCCI and was scheduled to take place three days before IPL's opening match.

Indian Premier League's All-Star match has been stalled for time being. The All-Star game was proposed by BCCI and was scheduled to take place three days before IPL's opening match. Also read: Indian Premier League 2020 to bring in new third umpire and concussion rule - BCCI According to Mumbai Mirror, IPL Franchises have been informally informed about the changes in the events. The match is likely to be stalled until the beginning of the tournament. BCCI had planned an All-star match before the start of the IPL, the match would feature top international players. This match was supposed to be played for a charitable cause. The venue of the All-Stars game had not yet been decided. Here's a look at the TOP 10 BUYS 💰💰post some fierce bidding at the 2020 @Vivo_India #IPLAuction 👌🤜🤛 pic.twitter.com/wxuFnBx4fq — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) December 19, 2019 × The star-studded tournament will commence on March 29 with the first match will be played between previous editions finalists Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings and the final will be played on May 24. IPL 2020 will be the longest in its tournament history. New rules and new format have been included in this year's IPL, According to the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, IPL will hold five double-header matches this year and these matches will be played on Sundays. Double-header means holding two matches in one day. The timing of these matches will be 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM. The third umpire will be given the duty to check the exclusive no-balls, the on-field umpires will no longer make this decision. This formula was tried in the recent India-West Indies ODI series. This year's IPL has a lot of expectation like always, IPL has seen a lot of ups and downs in the past. It has been a gateway for new emerging players to show their skills to the world.

IPL: All-Star match stalled, could be played after tournament

With government cancelling all regular visas to India except diplomatic and official visas from March 13, the future of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 looks bleak. Foreign players, who were all set to take part in IPL 2020 will not be available till April 15 due to the cancellation of visas by the government. This comes as a massive news for the future of IPL 2020 with officials and state authorities already sweating about the future of the cash-rich tournament for the 13th edition. Now, all eyes will be on the IPL governing council meeting which is scheduled to be held on March 14. In India, there have been at least 71 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and that has made the government take major steps in a bid to curb the spreading of the novel virus.

"The foreign players who play in the IPL come under the Business Visa category. As per the government's directive, they can't come till April 15," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity. Furthermore, Sports Secretary Radhey Shyam Julaniya has said that all national federations, including the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), have been asked to follow Health ministry's advisory and avoid large gatherings.&nbsp;

Even the Paralympic Committee of India has decided to put stop all national and state championships, with an immediate effect, due to the novel coronavirus. So far, the BCCI has been adamant that IPL 2020 should go as per schedule but with the situation deteriorating with each passing day, big calls have to taken by the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and IPL chairman Brijesh Patel.

<h3>Close door matches in IPL 2020 - a possibility?</h3>

The IPL governing council meeting would decide the fate of the cash-rich tournament which is scheduled to kickstart from March 29 with the tournament opener set to be played between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. "All decisions will be taken by the GC in Mumbai," the source said. Meanwhile, matches behind closed doors is a realistic option being explored, at the moment, but final details are expected after the IPL governing council meeting on Saturday.

Earlier on Wednesday, &nbsp;Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Top said that IPL 2020 should be held behind closed doors with no spectators or else it should be postponed.&nbsp;

"In the current situation, it is not possible to schedule the IPL match in a packed stadium. We want it to happen in closed doors or postpone it for a later date. The final decision will be taken tomorrow. We all are of the view that IPL should not take place at this time as it can be very dangerous," Tope told reporters.

With government cancelling all regular visas to India except diplomatic and official visas from March 13, the future of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 looks bleak.

With government cancelling all regular visas to India except diplomatic and official visas from March 13, the future of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 looks bleak. Foreign players, who were all set to take part in IPL 2020 will not be available till April 15 due to the cancellation of visas by the government. This comes as a massive news for the future of IPL 2020 with officials and state authorities already sweating about the future of the cash-rich tournament for the 13th edition. Now, all eyes will be on the IPL governing council meeting which is scheduled to be held on March 14. In India, there have been at least 71 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and that has made the government take major steps in a bid to curb the spreading of the novel virus. "The foreign players who play in the IPL come under the Business Visa category. As per the government's directive, they can't come till April 15," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity. Furthermore, Sports Secretary Radhey Shyam Julaniya has said that all national federations, including the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), have been asked to follow Health ministry's advisory and avoid large gatherings. Even the Paralympic Committee of India has decided to put stop all national and state championships, with an immediate effect, due to the novel coronavirus. So far, the BCCI has been adamant that IPL 2020 should go as per schedule but with the situation deteriorating with each passing day, big calls have to taken by the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and IPL chairman Brijesh Patel. Close door matches in IPL 2020 - a possibility? The IPL governing council meeting would decide the fate of the cash-rich tournament which is scheduled to kickstart from March 29 with the tournament opener set to be played between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. "All decisions will be taken by the GC in Mumbai," the source said. Meanwhile, matches behind closed doors is a realistic option being explored, at the moment, but final details are expected after the IPL governing council meeting on Saturday. Earlier on Wednesday, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Top said that IPL 2020 should be held behind closed doors with no spectators or else it should be postponed. "In the current situation, it is not possible to schedule the IPL match in a packed stadium. We want it to happen in closed doors or postpone it for a later date. The final decision will be taken tomorrow. We all are of the view that IPL should not take place at this time as it can be very dangerous," Tope told reporters.

Coronavirus effect on cricket: Foreign players unavailable for IPL 2020 till April 15; BCCI, franchises mull options

As the novel coronavirus continues to spread like wildfire, the world of sports has taken a massive hit. A plethora of sporting events have been either cancelled or postponed including the India versus South Africa ODI series and much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020. While the three-match ODI series has been cancelled and the Proteas players will leave India in the earliest flight available, IPL 2020 has been suspended till April 15.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly reacted for the first time since the postponement of IPL 2020 as the former Indian skipper said everyone's safety is the utmost priority for the cricket board while adding sticking to the postponement is the best possible option.

<h2>"Everyone's safety is our priority"</h2>

"Let us stick to postponement as for now. Everyone's safety is our priority," BCCI president Ganguly said on the postponement of IPL 2020 on Friday.&nbsp;

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BCCI President Sourav Ganguly on IPL 2020 postponement: Let us stick to postponement as for now. Everyone's safety is our priority <a href="https://t.co/WvGU3zcfJJ">pic.twitter.com/WvGU3zcfJJ</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1238475033258782721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

With the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaring the novel coronavirus a pandemic, the entire sporting calendar has been left shattered. Tournaments like UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Premier League, England tour of Sri Lanka, Australian Grand Prix, ATP men's tour, Indian Super League 2019-20 final, Kolkata derby, among a few being either suspended or postponed, the onus was on BCCI to decide on the future of IPL 2020 and the apex cricket board decided to suspend it till April 15.

The BCCI's decision came after the Sports Ministry's advisory to all National Sports Federations to follow the Health Ministry's advisory and avoid large gatherings in sports events.

Earlier, the Indian government had announced the cancellation of all regular visas to India except diplomatic and official visas from March 13, which had put the participation of foreign players under dark clouds. However, with the IPL Governing Council meeting set to be held on March 14 (Saturday), it will be interesting to see what conclusion they come, along with all IPL franchises, regarding the scheduling and timings of the matches&nbsp;

As the novel coronavirus continues to spread like wildfire, the world of sports has taken a massive hit. A plethora of sporting events have been either cancelled or postponed including the India versus South Africa ODI series and much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020.

As the novel coronavirus continues to spread like wildfire, the world of sports has taken a massive hit. A plethora of sporting events have been either cancelled or postponed including the India versus South Africa ODI series and much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020. While the three-match ODI series has been cancelled and the Proteas players will leave India in the earliest flight available, IPL 2020 has been suspended till April 15. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly reacted for the first time since the postponement of IPL 2020 as the former Indian skipper said everyone's safety is the utmost priority for the cricket board while adding sticking to the postponement is the best possible option. "Everyone's safety is our priority" "Let us stick to postponement as for now. Everyone's safety is our priority," BCCI president Ganguly said on the postponement of IPL 2020 on Friday. BCCI President Sourav Ganguly on IPL 2020 postponement: Let us stick to postponement as for now. Everyone's safety is our priority pic.twitter.com/WvGU3zcfJJ — ANI (@ANI) March 13, 2020 × With the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaring the novel coronavirus a pandemic, the entire sporting calendar has been left shattered. Tournaments like UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Premier League, England tour of Sri Lanka, Australian Grand Prix, ATP men's tour, Indian Super League 2019-20 final, Kolkata derby, among a few being either suspended or postponed, the onus was on BCCI to decide on the future of IPL 2020 and the apex cricket board decided to suspend it till April 15. The BCCI's decision came after the Sports Ministry's advisory to all National Sports Federations to follow the Health Ministry's advisory and avoid large gatherings in sports events. Earlier, the Indian government had announced the cancellation of all regular visas to India except diplomatic and official visas from March 13, which had put the participation of foreign players under dark clouds. However, with the IPL Governing Council meeting set to be held on March 14 (Saturday), it will be interesting to see what conclusion they come, along with all IPL franchises, regarding the scheduling and timings of the matches

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly reacts to the postponement of IPL 2020

India will host the South Africans for a three-match ODI series is scheduled to be played between March 12 and March 18.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-sunil-joshi-named-selection-committee-chairman-harvinder-added-to-panel-284269" hreflang="en">BCCI: Sunil Joshi named selection committee chairman, Harvinder added to panel</a>

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday announced the 15-man squad for the series. Sunil Joshi-led selector panel has picked the team for the first time.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/new-zealand-beat-india-by-7-wickets-tour-ends-with-consecutive-whitewash-283620">New Zealand beat India by 7 wickets, tour ends with consecutive whitewash</a>

India's prolific all-rounder Hardik Pandya is back in the squad, he will be making his comeback after he proved his mettle after explosively smashing 46, 105, 38 and 158* in his tenure in the DY Patil T20 tournament. He missed out on action after the 26-year-old underwent lower back surgery last October.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> for 3-match ODI series against SA - Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Virat Kohli (C), KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill. <a href="https://t.co/HD53LRAhoh">pic.twitter.com/HD53LRAhoh</a>
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Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar will be coming back after regaining their fitness post injuries.

Rohit Sharma, however, will not be a part of the series as he picked up a calf injury during the T20I series against New Zealand earlier this year. He is likely to make a comeback in the IPL where he will be leading his side Mumbai Indians.

India squad: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Virat Kohli (Captain), KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill.

Earlier, Virat Kohli criticized BCCI for cramped schedule for the Indian cricket team. Men in blue will face Proteas after the drubbing in New Zealand tour. IPL will take place after the South African series.

India will host the South Africans for a three-match ODI series is scheduled to be played between March 12 and March 18. Also read: BCCI: Sunil Joshi named selection committee chairman, Harvinder added to panel The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday announced the 15-man squad for the series.

India will host the South Africans for a three-match ODI series is scheduled to be played between March 12 and March 18. Also read: BCCI: Sunil Joshi named selection committee chairman, Harvinder added to panel The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday announced the 15-man squad for the series. Sunil Joshi-led selector panel has picked the team for the first time. Also read: New Zealand beat India by 7 wickets, tour ends with consecutive whitewash India's prolific all-rounder Hardik Pandya is back in the squad, he will be making his comeback after he proved his mettle after explosively smashing 46, 105, 38 and 158* in his tenure in the DY Patil T20 tournament. He missed out on action after the 26-year-old underwent lower back surgery last October. #TeamIndia for 3-match ODI series against SA - Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Virat Kohli (C), KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill. pic.twitter.com/HD53LRAhoh — BCCI (@BCCI) March 8, 2020 × Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar will be coming back after regaining their fitness post injuries. Rohit Sharma, however, will not be a part of the series as he picked up a calf injury during the T20I series against New Zealand earlier this year. He is likely to make a comeback in the IPL where he will be leading his side Mumbai Indians. India squad: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Virat Kohli (Captain), KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill. Earlier, Virat Kohli criticized BCCI for cramped schedule for the Indian cricket team. Men in blue will face Proteas after the drubbing in New Zealand tour. IPL will take place after the South African series.

BCCI announces 15-man squad for ODI series against South Africa

Former India spinner Sunil Joshi was on Wednesday named Chairman of the national selection panel by the BCCI's Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), which also picked ex-pacer Harvinder Singh for a place in the five-member group.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/is-31-year-old-kohli-ageing-an-indian-bowling-legend-thinks-so-283969">Is 31-year-old Kohli ageing? An Indian bowling legend thinks so</a>

The CAC, comprising Madan Lal, R P Singh and Sulakshana Naik, picked the two selectors with Joshi replacing South Zone representative MSK Prasad.

In an unprecedented decision, the BCCI said the CAC will review the panel's performance after one year and make recommendations accordingly.

"The committee recommended Mr Sunil Joshi for the role of Chairman of the senior men's selection committee. The CAC will review the candidates after a one-year period and make the recommendations to the BCCI," read a statement from BCCI Secretary Jay Shah.

Harvinder was chosen from the central zone and replaces Gagan Khoda in the panel.

The existing members of the selection panel are Jatain Paranjpe, Devang Gandhi and Sarandeep Singh.

"We have picked the best guys for the job," Lal told PTI.

The CAC had shortlisted five candidates for interviews -- Joshi, Harvinder, Venkatesh Prasad, Rajesh Chauhan and L S Sivaramakrishnan -- from a list of 40 applicants.

Former India spinner Sunil Joshi was on Wednesday named Chairman of the national selection panel by the BCCI's Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), which also picked ex-pacer Harvinder Singh for a place in the five-member group.

Former India spinner Sunil Joshi was on Wednesday named Chairman of the national selection panel by the BCCI's Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), which also picked ex-pacer Harvinder Singh for a place in the five-member group. Also see: Is 31-year-old Kohli ageing? An Indian bowling legend thinks so The CAC, comprising Madan Lal, R P Singh and Sulakshana Naik, picked the two selectors with Joshi replacing South Zone representative MSK Prasad. In an unprecedented decision, the BCCI said the CAC will review the panel's performance after one year and make recommendations accordingly. "The committee recommended Mr Sunil Joshi for the role of Chairman of the senior men's selection committee. The CAC will review the candidates after a one-year period and make the recommendations to the BCCI," read a statement from BCCI Secretary Jay Shah. Harvinder was chosen from the central zone and replaces Gagan Khoda in the panel. The existing members of the selection panel are Jatain Paranjpe, Devang Gandhi and Sarandeep Singh. "We have picked the best guys for the job," Lal told PTI. The CAC had shortlisted five candidates for interviews -- Joshi, Harvinder, Venkatesh Prasad, Rajesh Chauhan and L S Sivaramakrishnan -- from a list of 40 applicants.

BCCI: Sunil Joshi named selection committee chairman, Harvinder added to panel

India's peril in the New Zealand tour continues as the visiting team faced another defeat after New Zealand beat India by 10 wickets on Day 4 of the first Test in&nbsp;the two-Test match series at Basin Reserve, Wellington. This was New Zealand's 100th Test win.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/1st-test-day-1-new-zealand-debutante-jamieson-tears-into-virats-india-281941" hreflang="en">1st Test, Day 1: New Zealand debutante Jamieson tears into Virat's India</a>&nbsp;

New Zealand now leads the two-match series 1-0 against the Indian team. Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson won the toss and chose to bowl first. India had a disappointing first inning after they were bowled out on 165 runs on Day 2. New Zealand smashed 348 runs to take 183 runs to lead over India. Kyle Jamieson was the star in the first innings as an all-round performance by the young gun played a major role in the win, he scalped four wickets and hit 44 runs for the Kiwis.&nbsp;

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The 10-wicket loss was 🇮🇳's first defeat in the ICC World Test Championship 🏆 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/FletOSBASs">pic.twitter.com/FletOSBASs</a>
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India had another disappointing inning with the bat, Mayank Agarwal scored (58 runs) the most runs for the team in the second innings. Pacer duo Tim Southee and Trent Boult took match-winning 9 wickets in the second innings.&nbsp;

New Zealand just needed 9 runs to win when they got down to bat for the second innings, Tom Latham and Tom Blundell scored 7 (not out) and 2 (not out) respectively to win it for New Zealand on Day 4. Tim Southee was adjudged the 'Man of the Match' as he took 9 wickets in the game (4 wickets in first innings and 5 wickets in the second innings).

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Blundell and Latham knock off the runs to give New Zealand their 💯th Test win! 🎉 👏 
 
A great all-round performance by the hosts to take a 1-0 series lead 🏆 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/Rab1LpS8P1">pic.twitter.com/Rab1LpS8P1</a>
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Virat Kohli's side was handed their first-ever defeat in the World Test Championship, they will be eyeing to draw the series in the next and final Test against the Kiwis. The match will take place on February 29 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch.&nbsp;

India's peril in the New Zealand tour continues as the visiting team faced another defeat after New Zealand beat India by 10 wickets on Day 4 of the first Test in the two-Test match series at Basin Reserve, Wellington.

India's peril in the New Zealand tour continues as the visiting team faced another defeat after New Zealand beat India by 10 wickets on Day 4 of the first Test in the two-Test match series at Basin Reserve, Wellington. This was New Zealand's 100th Test win. Also see: 1st Test, Day 1: New Zealand debutante Jamieson tears into Virat's India New Zealand now leads the two-match series 1-0 against the Indian team. Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson won the toss and chose to bowl first. India had a disappointing first inning after they were bowled out on 165 runs on Day 2. New Zealand smashed 348 runs to take 183 runs to lead over India. Kyle Jamieson was the star in the first innings as an all-round performance by the young gun played a major role in the win, he scalped four wickets and hit 44 runs for the Kiwis. The 10-wicket loss was 🇮🇳's first defeat in the ICC World Test Championship 🏆 #NZvIND pic.twitter.com/FletOSBASs — ICC (@ICC) February 24, 2020 × India had another disappointing inning with the bat, Mayank Agarwal scored (58 runs) the most runs for the team in the second innings. Pacer duo Tim Southee and Trent Boult took match-winning 9 wickets in the second innings. New Zealand just needed 9 runs to win when they got down to bat for the second innings, Tom Latham and Tom Blundell scored 7 (not out) and 2 (not out) respectively to win it for New Zealand on Day 4. Tim Southee was adjudged the 'Man of the Match' as he took 9 wickets in the game (4 wickets in first innings and 5 wickets in the second innings). Blundell and Latham knock off the runs to give New Zealand their 💯th Test win! 🎉 👏 A great all-round performance by the hosts to take a 1-0 series lead 🏆 #NZvIND pic.twitter.com/Rab1LpS8P1 — ICC (@ICC) February 24, 2020 × Virat Kohli's side was handed their first-ever defeat in the World Test Championship, they will be eyeing to draw the series in the next and final Test against the Kiwis. The match will take place on February 29 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch.

New Zealand hand 10-wickets defeat to India, registers 100th Test victory

India's tour of New Zealand has come to its final stage, as both heavyweights have outclassed each other in the T20I and ODI series respectively.&nbsp;

India won 5-0 in the five-match T20 series against the hosts, later Kiwis returned the favour by handing India a whitewash in ODI series after 31 years.&nbsp;

The first Test is set to begin tomorrow at Basin Reserve, Wellington. The match will begin on February 21 and will go on till February 25.&nbsp;

India will be looking to bounce back after a humiliating series defeat in ODI series, whereas New Zealand will hope to maintain their confidence after successive victories.&nbsp;

India currently tops the ICC Test rankings, whereas New Zealand is fourth and last time they met, Men in Blue defeated Black Caps on their home turf in the two-match Test series (1-0).&nbsp;

Virat and Co. top the ICC World Test Championship points table with 360 points after winning all 7 Test matches.&nbsp;

India has been on a hot streak winning Test matches by an innings four consecutive times in the past year.

New Zealand was beaten in the Test series earlier this year by Australia (3-0).&nbsp;

India could play Rishabh Pant after his stunning performance in the practice match against New Zealand XI, whereas, Matt Henry will replace Neil Wagner.&nbsp;

Shubman Gill's chances to make it in the playing XI look slim after under-performing in the practice match.&nbsp;

Squads:&nbsp; 
India: Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Hanuma Vihari, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill

New Zealand: Tom Latham, Tom Blundell, Kane Williamson(captain), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling(wicket), Colin de Grandhomme, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Ajaz Patel, Daryl Mitchell, Matt Henry

India's tour of New Zealand has come to its final stage, as both heavyweights have outclassed each other in the T20I and ODI series respectively. India won 5-0 in the five-match T20 series against the hosts, later Kiwis returned the favour by handing India a whitewash in ODI series after 31 years.

India's tour of New Zealand has come to its final stage, as both heavyweights have outclassed each other in the T20I and ODI series respectively. India won 5-0 in the five-match T20 series against the hosts, later Kiwis returned the favour by handing India a whitewash in ODI series after 31 years. The first Test is set to begin tomorrow at Basin Reserve, Wellington. The match will begin on February 21 and will go on till February 25. India will be looking to bounce back after a humiliating series defeat in ODI series, whereas New Zealand will hope to maintain their confidence after successive victories. India currently tops the ICC Test rankings, whereas New Zealand is fourth and last time they met, Men in Blue defeated Black Caps on their home turf in the two-match Test series (1-0). Virat and Co. top the ICC World Test Championship points table with 360 points after winning all 7 Test matches. India has been on a hot streak winning Test matches by an innings four consecutive times in the past year. New Zealand was beaten in the Test series earlier this year by Australia (3-0). India could play Rishabh Pant after his stunning performance in the practice match against New Zealand XI, whereas, Matt Henry will replace Neil Wagner. Shubman Gill's chances to make it in the playing XI look slim after under-performing in the practice match. Squads: India: Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Hanuma Vihari, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill New Zealand: Tom Latham, Tom Blundell, Kane Williamson(captain), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling(wicket), Colin de Grandhomme, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Ajaz Patel, Daryl Mitchell, Matt Henry

Virat's India on 'test' against Williamson's resurgent New Zealand at Wellington

Not just US, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka have crashed to historic low in ODIs

New Zealand's pace hit a massive speed-breaker after consistently losing wickets in the later stages of the play but still managed to get an above-par score by the end of the innings.&nbsp;

After New Zealand lost the toss, Martin Guptill and Henry Nicholls opened for the Kiwis and put up a 96 runs stand for the first wicket.

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Overs 1-10: 52/0 
Overs 11-20: 108/1 
Overs 21-30: 159/3 
Overs 31-40: 195/7 
Overs 41-50: 273/8 
 
Ross Taylor's 73* after Guptill's 79 has helped 🇳🇿 to a fighting total despite Indian bowling brilliance in the middle overs.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/HJW3KSRkPd">pic.twitter.com/HJW3KSRkPd</a>
— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1226019947299721217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
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At one stage they were looking good at 142/1, aiming 300+ score, they lost 7 wickets in the next 55 runs. They set 274 as the target for the visiting side.

India's choice of bringing in Yuzvendra Chahal paid off as he scalped 3 wickets.&nbsp;

Henry Nicholls scored 41 runs off 59 balls, he was out after being lbw by Chahal.&nbsp;

Martin Guptill continued his good form on Eden Park, Auckland. He scored his first half-century in 11 matches. He smashed 79 runs until he was run-out after a wrong call by Ross Taylor.&nbsp;

After that Kiwis had a collapse of wickets after Guptill's dismissal.&nbsp;

Fall of wickets: 93-1 (Henry Nicholls, 16.5), 142-2 (Tom Blundell, 26.3), 157-3 (Martin Guptill, 29.2), 171-4 (Tom Latham, 33.1), 175-5 (James Neesham, 34.2), 185-6 (Colin de Grandhomme, 36.6), 187-7 (Mark Chapman, 37.4), 197-8 (Tim Southee, 41.3)

Ross Taylor helped Kiwis survive a scare and continued his good form after scoring a half-century (73 runs) and his quick-fire &nbsp;76 runs partnership with debutant Kyle Jamieson helped New Zealand power to 273.&nbsp;

India have yet again struggled to bowl out the lower order, after their last wicket (Tim Southee) which fell on 197/8, Kiwis managed to get highest 9th wicket partnership at Auckland.&nbsp;

Highest 9th wicket partnership at Auckland: 
76* R Taylor - K Jamieson v IND 2020 
54* G Larsen - C Pringle v AUS 1993 
35 C McMillan - D Vettori v AUS 2000

Most runs in IND-NZ (ODIs): 
1750 Sachin Tendulkar 
1373 Ross Taylor* 
1354 Virat Kohli 
1207 Nathan Astle 
1157 Virender Sehwag

India need 274 runs in 300 balls, with a required run-rate of 5.48.&nbsp;

New Zealand's pace hit a massive speed-breaker after consistently losing wickets in the later stages of the play but still managed to get an above-par score by the end of the innings.

New Zealand's pace hit a massive speed-breaker after consistently losing wickets in the later stages of the play but still managed to get an above-par score by the end of the innings. After New Zealand lost the toss, Martin Guptill and Henry Nicholls opened for the Kiwis and put up a 96 runs stand for the first wicket. Overs 1-10: 52/0 Overs 11-20: 108/1 Overs 21-30: 159/3 Overs 31-40: 195/7 Overs 41-50: 273/8 Ross Taylor's 73* after Guptill's 79 has helped 🇳🇿 to a fighting total despite Indian bowling brilliance in the middle overs.#NZvIND pic.twitter.com/HJW3KSRkPd — ICC (@ICC) February 8, 2020 × At one stage they were looking good at 142/1, aiming 300+ score, they lost 7 wickets in the next 55 runs. They set 274 as the target for the visiting side. India's choice of bringing in Yuzvendra Chahal paid off as he scalped 3 wickets. Henry Nicholls scored 41 runs off 59 balls, he was out after being lbw by Chahal. Martin Guptill continued his good form on Eden Park, Auckland. He scored his first half-century in 11 matches. He smashed 79 runs until he was run-out after a wrong call by Ross Taylor. After that Kiwis had a collapse of wickets after Guptill's dismissal. Fall of wickets: 93-1 (Henry Nicholls, 16.5), 142-2 (Tom Blundell, 26.3), 157-3 (Martin Guptill, 29.2), 171-4 (Tom Latham, 33.1), 175-5 (James Neesham, 34.2), 185-6 (Colin de Grandhomme, 36.6), 187-7 (Mark Chapman, 37.4), 197-8 (Tim Southee, 41.3) Ross Taylor helped Kiwis survive a scare and continued his good form after scoring a half-century (73 runs) and his quick-fire 76 runs partnership with debutant Kyle Jamieson helped New Zealand power to 273. India have yet again struggled to bowl out the lower order, after their last wicket (Tim Southee) which fell on 197/8, Kiwis managed to get highest 9th wicket partnership at Auckland. Highest 9th wicket partnership at Auckland: 76* R Taylor - K Jamieson v IND 2020 54* G Larsen - C Pringle v AUS 1993 35 C McMillan - D Vettori v AUS 2000 Most runs in IND-NZ (ODIs): 1750 Sachin Tendulkar 1373 Ross Taylor* 1354 Virat Kohli 1207 Nathan Astle 1157 Virender Sehwag India need 274 runs in 300 balls, with a required run-rate of 5.48.

India vs New Zealand 2nd ODI first innings: Kiwis survive scare after Ross-Kyle's 76 runs stand

New Zealand have clinched the ODI series against India after beating them in a nail-biting finish by 22 runs in the second ODI at Eden Park, Auckland.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-new-zealand-2nd-odi-live-score-india-win-the-toss-opt-to-bowl-279311">Over-by-over coverage of the match</a>

After New Zealand lost the toss, Martin Guptill and Henry Nicholls opened for the Kiwis and put up a 96 runs stand for the first wicket.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-new-zealand-2nd-odi-first-innings-kiwis-survive-scare-after-ross-kyles-76-runs-stand-279403" hreflang="en">India vs New Zealand 2nd ODI first innings: Kiwis survive scare after Ross-Kyle's 76 runs stand</a>

Martin Guptill continued his good form on Eden Park, Auckland. He scored his first half-century in 11 matches. He smashed 79 runs until he was run-out after a wrong call by Ross Taylor.&nbsp;

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💪<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/UrvDbMjTu0">pic.twitter.com/UrvDbMjTu0</a>
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After that Kiwis had a collapse of wickets after Guptill's dismissal.&nbsp;

Ross Taylor helped Kiwis survive a scare and continued his good form after scoring a half-century (73 runs) and his quick-fire &nbsp;76 runs partnership with debutant Kyle Jamieson helped New Zealand power to 273.&nbsp;

India have yet again struggled to bowl out the lower order, after their last wicket (Tim Southee) which fell on 197/8, Kiwis managed to get highest 9th wicket partnership at Auckland.&nbsp;

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A tight <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvIND</a> contest, a run out right at the death, and Ravindra Jadeja falling just short of pulling off a miracle... Stop us if you've heard this one before 😉 <a href="https://t.co/Pw4LM8qFcI">pic.twitter.com/Pw4LM8qFcI</a>
— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1226084110579400704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
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India needed 274 in 50 overs, Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal opened for the Men in Blue.&nbsp;

Indian batsmen failed to get a consistent good partnership. All batsmen except Shreyas Iyer (52 runs) and Ravindra Jadeja (55 runs) could not perform well with the bat. Despite Jadeja and Navdeep Saini's 50 runs partnership and brilliant bowling performance by the Indian team in the middle overs, still, they could not capitalise over their weakness. India scored 251/10.&nbsp;

Navdeep Saini's brave 45 runs had put the Kiwis in pressure.&nbsp;

Debutant Kyle Jamieson shines on his debut. He took Prithvi Shaw and Navdeep Saini's wicket who was looking explosive with his bat. He took two wickets against India.&nbsp;

Tim Southee continued his good run, he took 2 wickets and became the most successful bowler against Virat Kohli. He has dismissed Kohli 9 times across all formats.&nbsp;

Colin de Grandhomme and Hamish Bennett took two wickets each.&nbsp;

James Neesham took the final wicket (Jadeja - 55 runs) and sealed the series for the Kiwis.&nbsp;

New Zealand beat India in the three-match series by 2-0.&nbsp;

Debutant Kyle Jamieson won the man of the match.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

New Zealand have clinched the ODI series against India after beating them in a nail-biting finish by 22 runs in the second ODI at Eden Park, Auckland. Also read: Over-by-over coverage of the match After New Zealand lost the toss, Martin Guptill and Henry Nicholls opened for the Kiwis and put up a 96 runs stand for the first wicket.

New Zealand have clinched the ODI series against India after beating them in a nail-biting finish by 22 runs in the second ODI at Eden Park, Auckland. Also read: Over-by-over coverage of the match After New Zealand lost the toss, Martin Guptill and Henry Nicholls opened for the Kiwis and put up a 96 runs stand for the first wicket. Also read: India vs New Zealand 2nd ODI first innings: Kiwis survive scare after Ross-Kyle's 76 runs stand Martin Guptill continued his good form on Eden Park, Auckland. He scored his first half-century in 11 matches. He smashed 79 runs until he was run-out after a wrong call by Ross Taylor. 💪#NZvIND pic.twitter.com/UrvDbMjTu0 — ICC (@ICC) February 8, 2020 × After that Kiwis had a collapse of wickets after Guptill's dismissal. Ross Taylor helped Kiwis survive a scare and continued his good form after scoring a half-century (73 runs) and his quick-fire 76 runs partnership with debutant Kyle Jamieson helped New Zealand power to 273. India have yet again struggled to bowl out the lower order, after their last wicket (Tim Southee) which fell on 197/8, Kiwis managed to get highest 9th wicket partnership at Auckland. A tight #NZvIND contest, a run out right at the death, and Ravindra Jadeja falling just short of pulling off a miracle... Stop us if you've heard this one before 😉 pic.twitter.com/Pw4LM8qFcI — ICC (@ICC) February 8, 2020 × India needed 274 in 50 overs, Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal opened for the Men in Blue. Indian batsmen failed to get a consistent good partnership. All batsmen except Shreyas Iyer (52 runs) and Ravindra Jadeja (55 runs) could not perform well with the bat. Despite Jadeja and Navdeep Saini's 50 runs partnership and brilliant bowling performance by the Indian team in the middle overs, still, they could not capitalise over their weakness. India scored 251/10. Navdeep Saini's brave 45 runs had put the Kiwis in pressure. Debutant Kyle Jamieson shines on his debut. He took Prithvi Shaw and Navdeep Saini's wicket who was looking explosive with his bat. He took two wickets against India. Tim Southee continued his good run, he took 2 wickets and became the most successful bowler against Virat Kohli. He has dismissed Kohli 9 times across all formats. Colin de Grandhomme and Hamish Bennett took two wickets each. James Neesham took the final wicket (Jadeja - 55 runs) and sealed the series for the Kiwis. New Zealand beat India in the three-match series by 2-0. Debutant Kyle Jamieson won the man of the match.

New Zealand vs India, 2nd ODI: New Zealand seal the series after beating India by 22 runs

New Zealand&nbsp;get their first win of the tour against India, they beat the visitors by 4 wickets. The Blackcaps chased India's mammoth score (347 runs) with 11 balls to spare.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-new-zealand-1st-odi-live-score-new-zealand-win-the-toss-and-opt-to-bowl-278611">Over-by-over play of India versus New Zealand's first ODI</a>

India began their first ODI match with a change in the opening pair, many people were surprised when Indian Skipper Virat Kohli decided to send Mayank Agarwal along Prithvi Shaw, instead of KL Rahul.&nbsp;

The opening pair were debuting for India. They had a decent opening partnership of 50 runs until Prithvi Shaw got out (20 runs off 21 balls). He was followed by Mayank Agarwal, who scored 32 runs off 31 balls.

Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer took the team forward and had a 102 runs partnership. Virat scored 51 runs, whereas Shreyas Iyer scored his maiden ODI century for team India. He scored 103 runs in 107 balls.&nbsp;

Lokesh Rahul's sublime form continues as his quick 88 runs and Kedhar Jadhav's cameo (26 runs in 15 balls) helped India pose a good score of 347 runs.&nbsp;

In reply the Kiwis came down to bat with Henry Nicholls and Martin Guptill, New Zealand started off well as the opening pair added 85 runs to the wicket.&nbsp;

Henry Nicholls scored 78 runs in 82 balls. Tom Blundell had a disappointing debut match, he scored just 9 runs off 10 balls.&nbsp;

Ross Taylor and New Zealand skipper Tom Latham's partnership shattered Indian hopes of continues dominance in the tour. They added 131 runs partnership for the team.&nbsp;

Ross Taylor scored his 21st ODI century in the match. This was his 12th in New Zealand, 3rd against India and 4th in Seddon Park, Hamilton.&nbsp;

Kiwi skipper Tom Latham ensured that his role as a skipper was given to him for a reason, he scored 69 runs off 48 balls which included 8 fours and 2 sixes.&nbsp;

Ross Taylor has been judged the 'Man of the Match' after his performance versus India today.&nbsp;

New Zealand lead three-ODI match series against India (1-0).&nbsp;

They next meet in Auckland on February 8.&nbsp;

New Zealand get their first win of the tour against India, they beat the visitors by 4 wickets. The Blackcaps chased India's mammoth score (347 runs) with 11 balls to spare.

New Zealand get their first win of the tour against India, they beat the visitors by 4 wickets. The Blackcaps chased India's mammoth score (347 runs) with 11 balls to spare. Also read: Over-by-over play of India versus New Zealand's first ODI India began their first ODI match with a change in the opening pair, many people were surprised when Indian Skipper Virat Kohli decided to send Mayank Agarwal along Prithvi Shaw, instead of KL Rahul. The opening pair were debuting for India. They had a decent opening partnership of 50 runs until Prithvi Shaw got out (20 runs off 21 balls). He was followed by Mayank Agarwal, who scored 32 runs off 31 balls. Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer took the team forward and had a 102 runs partnership. Virat scored 51 runs, whereas Shreyas Iyer scored his maiden ODI century for team India. He scored 103 runs in 107 balls. Lokesh Rahul's sublime form continues as his quick 88 runs and Kedhar Jadhav's cameo (26 runs in 15 balls) helped India pose a good score of 347 runs. In reply the Kiwis came down to bat with Henry Nicholls and Martin Guptill, New Zealand started off well as the opening pair added 85 runs to the wicket. Henry Nicholls scored 78 runs in 82 balls. Tom Blundell had a disappointing debut match, he scored just 9 runs off 10 balls. Ross Taylor and New Zealand skipper Tom Latham's partnership shattered Indian hopes of continues dominance in the tour. They added 131 runs partnership for the team. Ross Taylor scored his 21st ODI century in the match. This was his 12th in New Zealand, 3rd against India and 4th in Seddon Park, Hamilton. Kiwi skipper Tom Latham ensured that his role as a skipper was given to him for a reason, he scored 69 runs off 48 balls which included 8 fours and 2 sixes. Ross Taylor has been judged the 'Man of the Match' after his performance versus India today. New Zealand lead three-ODI match series against India (1-0). They next meet in Auckland on February 8.

New Zealand vs India, 1st ODI: Kiwis outshine Men in Blue, win by 6 wickets

BCCI, on Tuesday, announced their Test squad for the New Zealand tour. Two-test matches will be played between India and New Zealand. Prithvi Shaw is set to return in Test squad in the absence of India's prolific opener Rohit Sharma.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-ruled-out-of-new-zealand-tour-due-to-injury-gill-and-agarwal-to-replace-278428">Rohit Sharma ruled out of New Zealand tour due to injury; Gill and Agarwal to replace</a>

Indian cricket team's vice-captain Rohit Sharma has been ruled out of the New Zealand tour following a calf injury. The injury was struck during the fifth T20I against New Zealand on Sunday at Mount Maunganui. He scored 60 runs off 41 balls, he retired hurt after he pulled his calf muscle while running a quick single.

The squad:&nbsp;

Virat Kolhi (Captain), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), R. Ashwin, R. Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Mohd. Shami, Navdeep Saini, Ishant Sharma (subject to fitness clearance).

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India’s Test squad: Virat (Capt), Mayank, Prithvi Shaw, Shubman, Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vc), Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), R. Ashwin, R. Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Mohd. Shami, Navdeep Saini, Ishant Sharma (subject to fitness clearance).
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1224518987016331265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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KL Rahul's name was missing from the squad which comes as a shock to many. Pacer spearhead Navdeep Saini has been given a chance to be in the squad and Shubman Gill is also a part of the Indian squad. Ishant Sharma was reported to miss the entire tour before but is now in the squad as a subject to regain his fitness to 100 per cent.&nbsp;

As of now, Mayank Agarwal has come as a replacement for the Indian vice-captain in the ODI series against the Blackcaps. Prithvi Shaw and KL Rahul are most likely to open the innings for India in the following matches.

India will take on New Zealand in the three-match ODI series tomorrow. Kane Williamson has been ruled out from the first two ODI matches following an injury. Mark Chapman will replace the Blackcap skipper. Tom Latham will lead the side for the two ODI matches.

India will be looking to continue their winning run against the Kiwi as they clean swept the T20I series, with this India, have become the first team to win a T20I series with 5-0 margin.

BCCI, on Tuesday, announced their Test squad for the New Zealand tour. Two-test matches will be played between India and New Zealand. Prithvi Shaw is set to return in Test squad in the absence of India's prolific opener Rohit Sharma.

BCCI, on Tuesday, announced their Test squad for the New Zealand tour. Two-test matches will be played between India and New Zealand. Prithvi Shaw is set to return in Test squad in the absence of India's prolific opener Rohit Sharma. Also read: Rohit Sharma ruled out of New Zealand tour due to injury; Gill and Agarwal to replace Indian cricket team's vice-captain Rohit Sharma has been ruled out of the New Zealand tour following a calf injury. The injury was struck during the fifth T20I against New Zealand on Sunday at Mount Maunganui. He scored 60 runs off 41 balls, he retired hurt after he pulled his calf muscle while running a quick single. The squad: Virat Kolhi (Captain), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), R. Ashwin, R. Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Mohd. Shami, Navdeep Saini, Ishant Sharma (subject to fitness clearance). India’s Test squad: Virat (Capt), Mayank, Prithvi Shaw, Shubman, Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vc), Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), R. Ashwin, R. Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Mohd. Shami, Navdeep Saini, Ishant Sharma (subject to fitness clearance). — BCCI (@BCCI) February 4, 2020 × KL Rahul's name was missing from the squad which comes as a shock to many. Pacer spearhead Navdeep Saini has been given a chance to be in the squad and Shubman Gill is also a part of the Indian squad. Ishant Sharma was reported to miss the entire tour before but is now in the squad as a subject to regain his fitness to 100 per cent. As of now, Mayank Agarwal has come as a replacement for the Indian vice-captain in the ODI series against the Blackcaps. Prithvi Shaw and KL Rahul are most likely to open the innings for India in the following matches. India will take on New Zealand in the three-match ODI series tomorrow. Kane Williamson has been ruled out from the first two ODI matches following an injury. Mark Chapman will replace the Blackcap skipper. Tom Latham will lead the side for the two ODI matches. India will be looking to continue their winning run against the Kiwi as they clean swept the T20I series, with this India, have become the first team to win a T20I series with 5-0 margin.

India vs New Zealand Tests: Prithvi Shaw, Navdeep Saini in, Rohit Sharma out

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