Coronavirus crisis: Big shame IPL 2020 is not going ahead, says Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler, England’s wicket-keeper batsman, has called the Indian Premier League (IPL) “massive” and said it is a “big shame” that IPL 2020 cannot be held on schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic. Buttler expects the cash-rich tournament might take place later this year.
 
The coronavirus has claimed more than 120 Indian lives and 80,000 globally, forcing countries to declare lockdowns.
 
Check live updates on Covid-19 here

The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) stands suspended till April 15 and chances of it being held in the near future are also grim.
 
Buttler, who plays for Rajasthan Royals, underlined the importance of a tournament like IPL.
 
"I don't know any more than you know about when IPL would be played or people talking about whether it can be pushed back. At the moment, everything is quite indefinite as no one knows how long it will last. So, it can't be decided at the moment when it could or could not happen," cricket news website ESPNcricinfo quoted Buttler.

 
Buttler, who made massive strides as a white ball player after a few seasons of IPL, spoke about the impact of not having an IPL and the effect it could have on revenue.
 
"As for the stature of the tournament, it's a massive, massive tournament. Revenue that is involved in IPL is massive. It is a very important competition to cricket and it's a big shame that it's not going ahead or whether it does have the way to push it in the schedule and allow it," he said.
 
However, IPL pushed back later in the year could well mean that some of the top players could miss the tournament due to their bilateral commitments.
 
"Of course, that might mean certain players might be unavailable. They will have to work through as the situation unfolds," he concluded.