NEW DELHI – The start of the Indian Premier League, the world’s mostlucrative cricket competition, has been postponed from March 29 until April15 over the coronavirus, the Indian cricket board said Friday.
Sports events worldwide have been upended by the deadly virus, includingthis weekend’s Formula One Australian Grand Prix as well as football andNBA basketball.
“The Board of Control for Cricket in India has decided to suspend IPL 2020till 15th April 2020, as a precautionary measure against the ongoing NovelCorona Virus (COVID-19) situation,” the BCCI said in a statement.
The two-month Twenty20 competition is estimated to generate more than $11billion for the Indian economy and involves cricket’s top internationalstars like England’s Ben Stokes, Australia’s David Warner and Indiancaptain Virat Kohli.
Chinese mobile-maker Vivo paid $330 million to be the top sponsor for2018-2022 for the league.
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It involves eight franchises playing 60 matches to packed, raucous stadiumsof tens of thousands of spectators — plus cheerleaders — all around India.
India has so far reported relatively few virus cases, but a jump to morethan 70 in recent days and the first confirmed death have promptedauthorities to discourage public events.
