BCCI considering vaccinating players amid rising COVID cases

There is a threat looming over the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the tally of the number of positive coronavirus cases in India is increasing rapidly. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) might have to make amends in their plans of hosting IPL as Mumbai doesn’t seem a suitable venue after after eight groundsmen tested positive for COVID-19 at the Wankhede Stadium.

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Wankhede Stadium is set to host the 10 matches of the IPL 2021 league stage from April 10 to April 25 . In addition, DC’s all-rounder Axar Patel and a member of CSK’s content team have also returned positive results.

It is learned that Royal Challengers Bangalore’s opening batsman Devdutt Padikkal has also tested positive for the deadly virus and has self-isolated himself away from other players. While the aforementioned developments are a matter of concern for BCCI and the IPL governing council, BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla believes that the only way to protect the players is by getting them vaccinated as there is no fixed period by which the situation will become normal.

"In order to cope with this coronavirus rise, I think the only solution is to get vaccinated. BCCI is also thinking on those lines that players should be vaccinated. Nobody knows when coronavirus is going to end and you can't give a deadline that by this time frame, it will not be there so players can play easily. So, I think, now we will have to think over that. Vaccination should be done for the players also," Shukla as quoted by Hindustan Times.