The schedule and fixture list of the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 was released on Sunday. Spread over six cities, IPL 2021 is set to commence from April 9. However, no franchise will have home advantage this term with matches to be held&nbsp;in neutral venues only. The schedule of IPL 2021 and the introduction of neutral venue have left a few franchises unhappy with some of them raising question on why they are being barred from playing in their home venues.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The cities of Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata&nbsp;will host&nbsp;IPL 2021 matches. The reason behind keeping neutral venues was to ensure parity on the field for every franchise while also ensuring no one gets added advantage of brand activation.&nbsp;

It was reported that three franchises were discontent when&nbsp;their&nbsp;venues weren't considered for IPL 2021 and according to a report in&nbsp;Cricbuzz, by addressing the concerns of three teams, who had earlier opposed the six-venue proposal,&nbsp;five other franchises could be less than satisfied with the final&nbsp;schedule.&nbsp;

"You are denying MS Dhoni to play his potential last IPL in Chennai. If there are to be no crowds, what stops CSK to play in Chennai and Mumbai Indians to play in Mumbai," asks one of the franchise officials&nbsp;as quoted by&nbsp;Cricbuzz.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-schedule-team-wise-full-fixture-list-date-time-and-venues-368637" hreflang="en">IPL 2021 Schedule: Team-wise full fixture list, date, time and venues</a>

"Delhi have players like Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane and skipper Shreyas Iyer who are from Mumbai and the team plays its first three games at the Wankhede. They will have advantage just as Punjab Kings who have players like KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, and coach Anil Kumble, and they play five games in Bangalore? Don't they have the advantage of being familiar with the conditions at the&nbsp;Chinnaswamy&nbsp;Stadium? The plan can be counter-productive."&nbsp;

The other&nbsp;concerns&nbsp;raised over the schedule have been on safety standards and logistical hazards. A team will have to fly out at least four times and according to some franchises, that could expose those participating&nbsp;to outsiders.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/its-banter-ravi-shastri-reacts-to-viral-memes-around-him-on-social-media-368581" hreflang="en">It's banter!: Ravi Shastri reacts to viral memes around him on social media</a>

"Those inside the team bubble are not allowed to meet the owners of their franchise and here by having to fly four times, change hotels and buses, the players will get exposed to outsiders," cautioned a franchise official, adding, "No doubt, we will engage charter flights and private airports but there will always be questions over the sanctity of the bio bubbles."&nbsp;

The report adds that the reason for&nbsp;finalising&nbsp;six venues was to spread out the risk factor amid the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

"It is a safer approach. What if the pandemic situation worsens in Maharashtra? Where do we go then? If now the situation worsens in Mumbai, or any of the other cities, we're prepared to host the tournament elsewhere," says one of those involved with the scheduling of the tournament.&nbsp;

The schedule and fixture list of the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 was released on Sunday. Spread over six cities, IPL 2021 is set to commence from April 9.

The schedule and fixture list of the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 was released on Sunday. Spread over six cities, IPL 2021 is set to commence from April 9. However, no franchise will have home advantage this term with matches to be held in neutral venues only. The schedule of IPL 2021 and the introduction of neutral venue have left a few franchises unhappy with some of them raising question on why they are being barred from playing in their home venues. The cities of Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata will host IPL 2021 matches. The reason behind keeping neutral venues was to ensure parity on the field for every franchise while also ensuring no one gets added advantage of brand activation. It was reported that three franchises were discontent when their venues weren't considered for IPL 2021 and according to a report in Cricbuzz, by addressing the concerns of three teams, who had earlier opposed the six-venue proposal, five other franchises could be less than satisfied with the final schedule. "You are denying MS Dhoni to play his potential last IPL in Chennai. If there are to be no crowds, what stops CSK to play in Chennai and Mumbai Indians to play in Mumbai," asks one of the franchise officials as quoted by Cricbuzz. ALSO READ: IPL 2021 Schedule: Team-wise full fixture list, date, time and venues "Delhi have players like Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane and skipper Shreyas Iyer who are from Mumbai and the team plays its first three games at the Wankhede. They will have advantage just as Punjab Kings who have players like KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, and coach Anil Kumble, and they play five games in Bangalore? Don't they have the advantage of being familiar with the conditions at the Chinnaswamy Stadium? The plan can be counter-productive." The other concerns raised over the schedule have been on safety standards and logistical hazards. A team will have to fly out at least four times and according to some franchises, that could expose those participating to outsiders. ALSO READ: It's banter!: Ravi Shastri reacts to viral memes around him on social media "Those inside the team bubble are not allowed to meet the owners of their franchise and here by having to fly four times, change hotels and buses, the players will get exposed to outsiders," cautioned a franchise official, adding, "No doubt, we will engage charter flights and private airports but there will always be questions over the sanctity of the bio bubbles." The report adds that the reason for finalising six venues was to spread out the risk factor amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "It is a safer approach. What if the pandemic situation worsens in Maharashtra? Where do we go then? If now the situation worsens in Mumbai, or any of the other cities, we're prepared to host the tournament elsewhere," says one of those involved with the scheduling of the tournament.

Denying MS Dhoni to play his potential last IPL in Chennai: Franchises left unhappy over scheduling

The Indian Premier League (IPL), hailed as the best T20 tournament in the world, on Thursday surpassed the INR 6000 crore mark of spending in auctions and salaries&nbsp;following the completion of mini-auction ahead of IPL 2021.&nbsp;&nbsp;

At the IPL auction 2021, franchises spent heavily in a bid to bolster their respective squads as the likes of&nbsp;Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals&nbsp;signed up as many as 57 players.&nbsp;

According to a report in&nbsp;Insidesport, the IPL franchises have now spent a total of INR 6144 crore across 14 seasons with the 2021 auction seeing the amount locked at INR 145.30 crore. Since IPL started in 2008, a total of 789 players have seen their lives changed having earned lucrative IPL contracts.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-auction-2021-complete-players-list-of-all-eight-squads-364617" hreflang="en">IPL Auction 2021: Complete players list of all eight squads</a>

While naturally, Indian players have earned the majority of the chunk from IPL auctions, Australian and South African players follow them with the likes of West Indies, England and New Zealand players next in the list.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-ms-dhoni-yuvraj-singh-to-chris-morris-most-expensive-buys-in-every-ipl-auctions-364071" hreflang="en">From MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh to Chris Morris: Most expensive buys in every IPL auctions</a>

<h2 lang="EN-US" paraeid="{ff839fe7-07c8-4301-8418-6cca28b1ec04}{255}" paraid="2091365710" >Let us take a look at how the distribution of IPL auction and salary&nbsp;money across players from different countries have happened over the years:&nbsp;</h2>

India: Indian domestic players have earned a staggering INR 3433 crore from 14 IPL seasons.&nbsp;

Australia: With 94 Aussie cricketers having played in IPL in 14 years, they have bagged INR 905.9 crore.&nbsp;

South Africa: The players from the rainbow nation are third on the list. As many as 56 Proteas players have participated in IPL while earning INR 539 crore from the cash-rich tournament.&nbsp;

West Indies: The&nbsp;Windies&nbsp;players have earned INR 458 crore with a total of 33 West Indies players having played in the IPL in 14 seasons.&nbsp;

England: A total of 33 English players have participated in the IPL while earning a mammoth INR 285.96 crore.&nbsp;

New Zealand: A total of 31 players from New Zealand have played in IPL, earning INR 211.6 crore.&nbsp;

Sri Lanka: Despite no players participating in IPL 2021, the Islanders have earned INR 195.93 after participation of 27 players in the tournament over the years.&nbsp;

Afghanistan: Only four Afghani players have played in IPL thus far having earned INR 58.4 crore.&nbsp;

Bangladesh: Only six Bangladesh players have participated in IPL in 14 editions with their earning standing at INR 34.78 crore.&nbsp;

Pakistan: While Pakistan players were only allowed in the IPL during the initial phase of the tournament, a total of 11 players played in the tournament, earning INR 12.84 crore.&nbsp;

Netherlands: Only two players have made the cut from the Netherlands in IPL while&nbsp;earning INR 5.27 crore.&nbsp;

Zimbabwe:&nbsp;Just three players have played in IPL from Zimbabwe, earning INR 1 crore.&nbsp;

The Indian Premier League (IPL), hailed as the best T20 tournament in the world, on Thursday surpassed the INR 6000 crore mark of spending in auctions and salaries following the completion of mini-auction ahead of IPL 2021.

The Indian Premier League (IPL), hailed as the best T20 tournament in the world, on Thursday surpassed the INR 6000 crore mark of spending in auctions and salaries following the completion of mini-auction ahead of IPL 2021. At the IPL auction 2021, franchises spent heavily in a bid to bolster their respective squads as the likes of Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals signed up as many as 57 players. According to a report in Insidesport, the IPL franchises have now spent a total of INR 6144 crore across 14 seasons with the 2021 auction seeing the amount locked at INR 145.30 crore. Since IPL started in 2008, a total of 789 players have seen their lives changed having earned lucrative IPL contracts. ALSO READ: IPL Auction 2021: Complete players list of all eight squads While naturally, Indian players have earned the majority of the chunk from IPL auctions, Australian and South African players follow them with the likes of West Indies, England and New Zealand players next in the list. ALSO READ: From MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh to Chris Morris: Most expensive buys in every IPL auctions Let us take a look at how the distribution of IPL auction and salary money across players from different countries have happened over the years: India: Indian domestic players have earned a staggering INR 3433 crore from 14 IPL seasons. Australia: With 94 Aussie cricketers having played in IPL in 14 years, they have bagged INR 905.9 crore. South Africa: The players from the rainbow nation are third on the list. As many as 56 Proteas players have participated in IPL while earning INR 539 crore from the cash-rich tournament. West Indies: The Windies players have earned INR 458 crore with a total of 33 West Indies players having played in the IPL in 14 seasons. England: A total of 33 English players have participated in the IPL while earning a mammoth INR 285.96 crore. New Zealand: A total of 31 players from New Zealand have played in IPL, earning INR 211.6 crore. Sri Lanka: Despite no players participating in IPL 2021, the Islanders have earned INR 195.93 after participation of 27 players in the tournament over the years. Afghanistan: Only four Afghani players have played in IPL thus far having earned INR 58.4 crore. Bangladesh: Only six Bangladesh players have participated in IPL in 14 editions with their earning standing at INR 34.78 crore. Pakistan: While Pakistan players were only allowed in the IPL during the initial phase of the tournament, a total of 11 players played in the tournament, earning INR 12.84 crore. Netherlands: Only two players have made the cut from the Netherlands in IPL while earning INR 5.27 crore. Zimbabwe: Just three players have played in IPL from Zimbabwe, earning INR 1 crore.

Whopping INR 6144 crore in 14 years of IPL: Auction, salary money spent across cricketers globally

A case dating back to 2012 has come to haunt the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and may cost the Indian board a staggering 640million USD (Rs 4,800 crore). Deccan Chargers, one of the first eight teams of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/ipl">Indian Premier League (IPL)</a>, had challenged the BCCI for ‘alleged illegal termination’ and the Bombay high court-appointed arbitrator has now passed an award in favour of the owner of the franchise – Deccan Chronicle Holdings (DCHL).&nbsp;

On September 15, 2012, the BCCI had announced the termination of Deccan Chargers following an emergency meeting. While DCHL, the then owners of the team, moved the Bombay high court, the BCCI initiated a new tender for the Hyderabad franchise, which was subsequently won by the Sun TV Network NSE 0.59 %.&nbsp;

The high court had appointed retired Supreme Court justice CK Thakkar as the sole arbitrator between the two parties eight years ago and on Friday, DCHL won the arbitration against the BCCI.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-apex-council-meeting-on-friday-ipl-2020-revamped-ftp-domestic-calendar-on-11-point-agenda-313706" hreflang="en">BCCI Apex Council meeting on Friday: IPL 2020, revamped FTP, domestic calendar on 11-point agenda</a>

The BCCI has been directed to pay a total of 640 million USD (Rs 4,800 crore), which includes various claims made by the DCHL by September 2020.&nbsp;

“We haven’t received the judgement copy yet, only after reading we will decide next plan of action,” Hemang Amin, interim CEO of the BCCI, told ET.&nbsp;

The entire episode started when media company DCHL failed to furnish a bank guarantee from a nationalized bank to the BCCI.&nbsp;

“However, in this case, the company (DCHL) is already under Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) and the lenders are acting fiduciaries. It will be difficult for the BCCI to deal with so many players,” said a senior lawyer as quoted by ET.

DCHL had acquired the rights of Hyderabad Franchise for $107 million in 2008 for a period of 10 years. DC won the second season of IPL. 
&nbsp;

A case dating back to 2012 has come to haunt the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and may cost the Indian board a staggering 640million USD (Rs 4,800 crore).

A case dating back to 2012 has come to haunt the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and may cost the Indian board a staggering 640million USD (Rs 4,800 crore). Deccan Chargers, one of the first eight teams of the Indian Premier League (IPL), had challenged the BCCI for ‘alleged illegal termination’ and the Bombay high court-appointed arbitrator has now passed an award in favour of the owner of the franchise – Deccan Chronicle Holdings (DCHL). On September 15, 2012, the BCCI had announced the termination of Deccan Chargers following an emergency meeting. While DCHL, the then owners of the team, moved the Bombay high court, the BCCI initiated a new tender for the Hyderabad franchise, which was subsequently won by the Sun TV Network NSE 0.59 %. The high court had appointed retired Supreme Court justice CK Thakkar as the sole arbitrator between the two parties eight years ago and on Friday, DCHL won the arbitration against the BCCI. ALSO READ: BCCI Apex Council meeting on Friday: IPL 2020, revamped FTP, domestic calendar on 11-point agenda The BCCI has been directed to pay a total of 640 million USD (Rs 4,800 crore), which includes various claims made by the DCHL by September 2020. “We haven’t received the judgement copy yet, only after reading we will decide next plan of action,” Hemang Amin, interim CEO of the BCCI, told ET. The entire episode started when media company DCHL failed to furnish a bank guarantee from a nationalized bank to the BCCI. “However, in this case, the company (DCHL) is already under Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) and the lenders are acting fiduciaries. It will be difficult for the BCCI to deal with so many players,” said a senior lawyer as quoted by ET. DCHL had acquired the rights of Hyderabad Franchise for $107 million in 2008 for a period of 10 years. DC won the second season of IPL.

IPL: BCCI asked to pay 640 million USD for 'wrongfully terminating' Deccan Chargers

Kolkata Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore on Wednesday said that getting players ready after a long lockdown will be one of the biggest challenges his support staff will face.

The Indian Premier league, which was scheduled to start on March 29, stands indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The BCCI is looking at the September-October window for hosting the cash-rich tournament.

"These are unusual times. One of the challenges which was identified by support staff during these unusual times is how to get players ready as they have gone completely cold," Mysore said in a webinar organised by FICCI.

Countries all across the world started going into lockdown mid-March to stem the growth of the cornavirus outbreak.

All sporting action including international and domestic cricket was either called-off or postponed, leaving the players to rely on home workouts to keep themselves fit.

"The support staff and back staff are all ready. A lot of discussions have happened from a support staff point, from a team stand point, on what we have to do," Mysore said.

"So a lot of one on one conversations are happening to get the players ready despite some of the limitations like not even having access to a gym. There is a lot of enthusiasm. We'll all be tested but I think is cautiously optimistic."

Even when sport resumes, matches will be held inside empty stadiums with no fans. Asked about players playing behind closed doors, Mysore said the stakeholders have an interesting opportunity in hand.

"This is a huge opportunity. The barriers that a stadium used to offer in terms of capacity to now when we can open it up to the universe.

"Now fans can have virtual presence, now we have to think in a different paradigm. Crowd noise can be real with the virtual presence of fans there. We have an interesting opportunity in hand," he added.

Kolkata Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore on Wednesday said that getting players ready after a long lockdown will be one of the biggest challenges his support staff will face.

Kolkata Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore on Wednesday said that getting players ready after a long lockdown will be one of the biggest challenges his support staff will face. The Indian Premier league, which was scheduled to start on March 29, stands indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The BCCI is looking at the September-October window for hosting the cash-rich tournament. "These are unusual times. One of the challenges which was identified by support staff during these unusual times is how to get players ready as they have gone completely cold," Mysore said in a webinar organised by FICCI. Countries all across the world started going into lockdown mid-March to stem the growth of the cornavirus outbreak. All sporting action including international and domestic cricket was either called-off or postponed, leaving the players to rely on home workouts to keep themselves fit. "The support staff and back staff are all ready. A lot of discussions have happened from a support staff point, from a team stand point, on what we have to do," Mysore said. "So a lot of one on one conversations are happening to get the players ready despite some of the limitations like not even having access to a gym. There is a lot of enthusiasm. We'll all be tested but I think is cautiously optimistic." Even when sport resumes, matches will be held inside empty stadiums with no fans. Asked about players playing behind closed doors, Mysore said the stakeholders have an interesting opportunity in hand. "This is a huge opportunity. The barriers that a stadium used to offer in terms of capacity to now when we can open it up to the universe. "Now fans can have virtual presence, now we have to think in a different paradigm. Crowd noise can be real with the virtual presence of fans there. We have an interesting opportunity in hand," he added.

Getting players ready will be biggest challenge: KKR CEO Venky Mysore

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is ready to host the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 after the 13th&nbsp;edition of the cash-rich tournament was suspended indefinitely by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday amid the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

The president of Sri Lanka Cricket – Shammi Silva – while speaking to Lankadeepa Newspaper – said that India is expected to have a look at the proposal by Sri Lanka to host IPL 2020. The SLC president cited the massive financial hit the BCCI will have to take if the IPL 2020 is not played due to the pandemic while adding that the Indian board can look at an alternative option as it did in the year 2009.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/official-ipl-2020-suspended-till-further-notice-amid-covid-19-pandemic-292914" hreflang="en">Official: IPL 2020 suspended till further notice amid COVID-19 pandemic</a>

Silva further said that it would be beneficial for the BCCI to hold the tournament in an overseas country as they did in 2009 (South Africa) rather than cancel the entire event. He added that Sri Lanka Cricket is ready to provide all the facilities necessary under the supervision of health authorities for the smooth conduction of IPL 2020.

“If IPL is called off, Indian Cricket board and IPL stakeholders will have to bear a loss of more than $500 Million. So, it will be beneficial for them to conduct the league in another country as they did in 2009 in South Africa,” Silva was quoted as saying.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-would-go-wider-of-the-crease-and-shoaib-akhtar-reveals-master-plan-to-dismiss-virat-kohli-292875" hreflang="en">'I would go wider of the crease and...' - Shoaib Akhtar reveals master-plan to dismiss Virat Kohli</a>

“If we get the go-ahead from them to this proposal, we are ready to provide all the facilities necessary under the supervision of Sri Lankan health authorities,” he added.

The SLC president further said that hosting IPL could be a welcome boost for the economy of Sri Lanka and its cricket board.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is ready to host the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 after the 13th edition of the cash-rich tournament was suspended indefinitely by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is ready to host the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 after the 13th edition of the cash-rich tournament was suspended indefinitely by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The president of Sri Lanka Cricket – Shammi Silva – while speaking to Lankadeepa Newspaper – said that India is expected to have a look at the proposal by Sri Lanka to host IPL 2020. The SLC president cited the massive financial hit the BCCI will have to take if the IPL 2020 is not played due to the pandemic while adding that the Indian board can look at an alternative option as it did in the year 2009. ALSO READ: Official: IPL 2020 suspended till further notice amid COVID-19 pandemic Silva further said that it would be beneficial for the BCCI to hold the tournament in an overseas country as they did in 2009 (South Africa) rather than cancel the entire event. He added that Sri Lanka Cricket is ready to provide all the facilities necessary under the supervision of health authorities for the smooth conduction of IPL 2020. “If IPL is called off, Indian Cricket board and IPL stakeholders will have to bear a loss of more than $500 Million. So, it will be beneficial for them to conduct the league in another country as they did in 2009 in South Africa,” Silva was quoted as saying. ALSO READ: 'I would go wider of the crease and...' - Shoaib Akhtar reveals master-plan to dismiss Virat Kohli “If we get the go-ahead from them to this proposal, we are ready to provide all the facilities necessary under the supervision of Sri Lankan health authorities,” he added. The SLC president further said that hosting IPL could be a welcome boost for the economy of Sri Lanka and its cricket board.

Sri Lanka ready to host IPL 2020, will provide all facilities for tournament: SLC to BCCI

With the COVID-19 pandemic shattering the entire sporting calendar, all eyes are on the future of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 which was earlier scheduled to start from March 29 before getting postponed till April 15. While almost the entire world is currently under lockdown to curb the spread of the dreaded COVID-19, there are major question marks on whether IPL 2020 will be played this year.&nbsp;

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) treasurer Arun Dhumal has said that the board is not in a position to take a final take on the fate of IPL 2020 and it would be “too premature” to comment on whether the cash-rich tournament could be played in place of ICC T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be played in October-November in Australia.

"Right now, the picture is very hazy. We don't even know when the lockdown will end and if we don't know, how can we even have a meaningful discussion. Once we get clarity from the government, we can then sit and take fresh stock of the situation. Any speculation about its future will be premature," Dhumal told PTI.

"Everyone wants IPL to happen but let's have some clarity first."

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nothing-is-in-favour-of-any-kind-of-sport-forget-ipl-bcci-president-sourav-ganguly-292216" hreflang="en">Nothing is in favour of any kind of sport, forget IPL: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly</a>

The BCCI treasurer confirmed that there was no conference call on Monday between the office bearers on Monday.&nbsp;

"We office-bearers are in constant touch. It's not just IPL but there is a huge amount of pending administrative work, legal issues that need to be studied. But there was no conference call scheduled today as there is nothing to discuss till current situation persists," Dhumal said.

He also provided some practical insight into rescheduling of IPL as speculations are rife about the October-November window.

There are major speculations that IPL 2020 could be played in place of ICC T20 World Cup. But that would need the postponement of the showpiece event.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-should-have-retired-after-world-cup-seems-stuck-now-shoaib-akhtar-292206" hreflang="en">MS Dhoni should have retired after World Cup, seems stuck now: Shoaib Akhtar</a>

"Tell me one thing. Firstly, if Australia is under lockdown for six months, how can we conclude that they will allow their players to travel from next month right away? What if the travel restrictions for its citizens are still in place? How will they come to India then? And don't forget that other boards also need to agree," Dhumal said.

"Secondly, even if the lockdown ends in India, what if some of the major cities still have those COVID ''hotspots''? Can we risk the lives of our sportspersons? Thirdly, the players are likely to go without training for months.

"Even if we are in a position to conduct a tournament, for international players, we need to give them a bare minimum time to do full-fledged training before we can start a tournament. All these factors can only be clear when we are in a position to discuss," Dhumal said.

With the COVID-19 pandemic shattering the entire sporting calendar, all eyes are on the future of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 which was earlier scheduled to start from March 29 before getting postponed till April 15.

With the COVID-19 pandemic shattering the entire sporting calendar, all eyes are on the future of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 which was earlier scheduled to start from March 29 before getting postponed till April 15. While almost the entire world is currently under lockdown to curb the spread of the dreaded COVID-19, there are major question marks on whether IPL 2020 will be played this year. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) treasurer Arun Dhumal has said that the board is not in a position to take a final take on the fate of IPL 2020 and it would be “too premature” to comment on whether the cash-rich tournament could be played in place of ICC T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be played in October-November in Australia. "Right now, the picture is very hazy. We don't even know when the lockdown will end and if we don't know, how can we even have a meaningful discussion. Once we get clarity from the government, we can then sit and take fresh stock of the situation. Any speculation about its future will be premature," Dhumal told PTI. "Everyone wants IPL to happen but let's have some clarity first." ALSO READ: Nothing is in favour of any kind of sport, forget IPL: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly The BCCI treasurer confirmed that there was no conference call on Monday between the office bearers on Monday. "We office-bearers are in constant touch. It's not just IPL but there is a huge amount of pending administrative work, legal issues that need to be studied. But there was no conference call scheduled today as there is nothing to discuss till current situation persists," Dhumal said. He also provided some practical insight into rescheduling of IPL as speculations are rife about the October-November window. There are major speculations that IPL 2020 could be played in place of ICC T20 World Cup. But that would need the postponement of the showpiece event. ALSO READ: MS Dhoni should have retired after World Cup, seems stuck now: Shoaib Akhtar "Tell me one thing. Firstly, if Australia is under lockdown for six months, how can we conclude that they will allow their players to travel from next month right away? What if the travel restrictions for its citizens are still in place? How will they come to India then? And don't forget that other boards also need to agree," Dhumal said. "Secondly, even if the lockdown ends in India, what if some of the major cities still have those COVID ''hotspots''? Can we risk the lives of our sportspersons? Thirdly, the players are likely to go without training for months. "Even if we are in a position to conduct a tournament, for international players, we need to give them a bare minimum time to do full-fledged training before we can start a tournament. All these factors can only be clear when we are in a position to discuss," Dhumal said.

Everyone wants IPL to happen but premature to comment on October-November window for IPL 2020: BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal

<h2>List of matches in April:</h2>

7 April (Saturday)&nbsp; 
Mumbai &nbsp;vs Chennai: 8 pm

8 April (Sunday) 
Delhi vs Punjab: 4 pm 
Kolkata vs Bangalore: 8 pm

9 April (Monday) 
Hyderabad vs Rajasthan: 8 pm

10 April (Tuesday) 
Chennai vs Kolkata: 8 pm

11 April (Wednesday) 
Rajasthan vs Delhi: 8 pm

12 April (Thursday) 
Hyderabad vs Mumbai: 8 pm

13 April (Friday) 
Bangalore vs Punjab: 8 pm

14 April (Saturday) 
Mumbai vs Delhi: 4 pm 
Kolkata vs Hyderabad: 8 pm

15 April (Sunday) 
Bangalore v Rajasthan: 4 pm 
Punjab v Chennai: 8 pm

16 April (Monday) 
Kolkata vs Delhi: 8 pm

17 April (Tuesday) 
Mumbai vs Bangalore: 8 pm

18 April (Wednesday) 
Rajasthan vs Kolkata: 8 pm

19 April (Thursday) 
Punjab vs Hyderabad: 8 pm

20 April (Friday) 
Chennai vs Rajasthan: 8 pm

21 April (Saturday) 
Kolkata vs Punjab: 4 pm 
Delhi vs Bangalore: 8 pm

22 April (Sunday) 
Hyderabad vs Chennai: 4 pm 
Rajasthan vs Mumbai: 8 pm

23 April (Monday) 
Kings vs Delhi: 8 pm

24 April (Tuesday) 
Mumbai vs Hyderabad: 8 pm

25 April (Wednesday) 
Bangalore vs Chennai: 8 pm

26 April (Thursday) 
Hyderabad vs Punjab: 8 pm

27 April (Friday) 
Delhi vs Kolkata: 8 pm

28 April (Saturday) 
Chennai vs Mumbai: 8 pm

29 April (Sunday) 
Rajasthan vs Hyderabad: 4 pm 
Bangalore vs Kolkata: 8 pm

30 April (Monday) 
Chennai vs Delhi: 8 pm

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

POINTS TABLE, SQUAD LIST, ANALYSIS, VENUE

List of matches in April: 7 April (Saturday) Mumbai vs Chennai: 8 pm 8 April (Sunday) Delhi vs Punjab: 4 pm Kolkata vs Bangalore: 8 pm 9 April (Monday) Hyderabad vs Rajasthan: 8 pm 10 April (Tuesday) Chennai vs Kolkata: 8 pm 11 April (Wednesday) Rajasthan vs Delhi: 8 pm 12 April (Thursday) Hyderabad vs Mumbai: 8 pm 13 April (Friday) Bangalore vs Punjab: 8 pm 14 April (Saturday) Mumbai vs Delhi: 4 pm Kolkata vs Hyderabad: 8 pm 15 April (Sunday) Bangalore v Rajasthan: 4 pm Punjab v Chennai: 8 pm 16 April (Monday) Kolkata vs Delhi: 8 pm 17 April (Tuesday) Mumbai vs Bangalore: 8 pm 18 April (Wednesday) Rajasthan vs Kolkata: 8 pm 19 April (Thursday) Punjab vs Hyderabad: 8 pm 20 April (Friday) Chennai vs Rajasthan: 8 pm 21 April (Saturday) Kolkata vs Punjab: 4 pm Delhi vs Bangalore: 8 pm 22 April (Sunday) Hyderabad vs Chennai: 4 pm Rajasthan vs Mumbai: 8 pm 23 April (Monday) Kings vs Delhi: 8 pm 24 April (Tuesday) Mumbai vs Hyderabad: 8 pm 25 April (Wednesday) Bangalore vs Chennai: 8 pm 26 April (Thursday) Hyderabad vs Punjab: 8 pm 27 April (Friday) Delhi vs Kolkata: 8 pm 28 April (Saturday) Chennai vs Mumbai: 8 pm 29 April (Sunday) Rajasthan vs Hyderabad: 4 pm Bangalore vs Kolkata: 8 pm 30 April (Monday) Chennai vs Delhi: 8 pm

Indian Premier League 2018

Virender Sehwag, the head coach of Kings XI Punjab pranked the fans and followers by announcing his comeback in the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League. On April 1, the official handle of Kings XI Punjab tweeted, "BREAKING NEWS: You're in for a real treat. @virendersehwag will take the field in Vivo @IPL once again, replacing @AaronFinch5 for the season opener. It's deja vu all over again."

As per rumors, the retired Indian Opener was supposed to open the Punjab innings against Delhi Daredevils in the absence of Aaron Finch.

See the&nbsp;tweet here:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
BREAKING NEWS: 
You're in for a real treat. <a href="https://twitter.com/virendersehwag?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@virendersehwag</a> will take the field in Vivo <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IPL</a> once again, replacing <a href="https://twitter.com/AaronFinch5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AaronFinch5</a> for the season opener. It's deja vu all over again ?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LivePunjabiPlayPunjabi?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LivePunjabiPlayPunjabi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KXIP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KXIP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> <a href="https://t.co/0fKHF24Tuv">https://t.co/0fKHF24Tuv</a>
— Kings XI Punjab (@lionsdenkxip) <a href="https://twitter.com/lionsdenkxip/status/980338876446371840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

In a Twitter&nbsp;live session, Sehwag revealed about his 1st April's prank:

Watch his reaction here:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Lol! A perfect prank by <a href="https://twitter.com/virendersehwag?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@virendersehwag</a> ? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AprilFoolsDay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AprilFoolsDay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LivePunjabiPlayPunjabi?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LivePunjabiPlayPunjabi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KXIP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KXIP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KingsXIPunjab?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KingsXIPunjab</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VivoIPL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VivoIPL</a> 
 
Keep supporting the Kings at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ISBindraStadium?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ISBindraStadium</a> & book your tickets ➡ <a href="https://t.co/hMidVMPMwg">https://t.co/hMidVMPMwg</a> <a href="https://t.co/RhKxW9BRY5">pic.twitter.com/RhKxW9BRY5</a>
— Kings XI Punjab (@lionsdenkxip) <a href="https://twitter.com/lionsdenkxip/status/980491372066103297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

It was definitely appearing as a prank as a player, who is not registered cannot play in the IPL. April 1 is known as April Fool’s Day and Twitter 'devta' who is known for his witty tweets prepared the best prank for his fans.

The tweet mentioned about "treat" for the fans but it later came out as trick, Viru himself overturned the announcement and said, "Guys I hope you enjoyed my batting, that was the perfect April fool."

Sehwag was last seen batting at the recent Ice Cricket matches in St Moritz. He scored 62 off 31 in the first match and 46 off 22 balls in the second match there.

&nbsp;

The retired Indian opener was supposed to open the Punjab innings against Delhi Daredevils in the absence of Aaron Finch

Virender Sehwag, the head coach of Kings XI Punjab pranked the fans and followers by announcing his comeback in the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League. On April 1, the official handle of Kings XI Punjab tweeted, "BREAKING NEWS: You're in for a real treat. @virendersehwag will take the field in Vivo @IPL once again, replacing @AaronFinch5 for the season opener. It's deja vu all over again." As per rumors, the retired Indian Opener was supposed to open the Punjab innings against Delhi Daredevils in the absence of Aaron Finch. See the tweet here: BREAKING NEWS: You're in for a real treat. @virendersehwag will take the field in Vivo @IPL once again, replacing @AaronFinch5 for the season opener. It's deja vu all over again ?#LivePunjabiPlayPunjabi #KXIP #VIVOIPL https://t.co/0fKHF24Tuv — Kings XI Punjab (@lionsdenkxip) April 1, 2018 × In a Twitter live session, Sehwag revealed about his 1st April's prank: Watch his reaction here: Lol! A perfect prank by @virendersehwag ? #AprilFoolsDay #LivePunjabiPlayPunjabi #KXIP #KingsXIPunjab #VivoIPL Keep supporting the Kings at the #ISBindraStadium & book your tickets ➡ https://t.co/hMidVMPMwg pic.twitter.com/RhKxW9BRY5 — Kings XI Punjab (@lionsdenkxip) April 1, 2018 × It was definitely appearing as a prank as a player, who is not registered cannot play in the IPL. April 1 is known as April Fool’s Day and Twitter 'devta' who is known for his witty tweets prepared the best prank for his fans. The tweet mentioned about "treat" for the fans but it later came out as trick, Viru himself overturned the announcement and said, "Guys I hope you enjoyed my batting, that was the perfect April fool." Sehwag was last seen batting at the recent Ice Cricket matches in St Moritz. He scored 62 off 31 in the first match and 46 off 22 balls in the second match there.

Watch: How Virender Sehwag reacts on his comeback as batsman for Kings XI Punjab

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