BCCI office to shut down from Tuesday as employees asked to work from home amid COVID-19

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will be shutting down its office from Tuesday in wake of COVID-19 pandemic which has spread its tentacles all over the globe. The employees have been asked to work from home. Even the cricketing season has been postponed due to the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus which includes all the domestic matches (put on hold till further notice), India-South Africa bilateral ODI series and the Indian Premier League(IPL). The 13th edition of the IPL which was supposed to get underway on March 29 has now been postponed to April 15.

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BCCI puts domestic matches on hold till further notice

Meanwhile, BCCI on Saturday put on hold all its remaining domestic tournaments, including the Irani Cup match between Rest of India and Ranji Trophy champions Saurashtra, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement signed by BCCI secretary Jay Shah, the Board said prominent tournaments that stand postponed are the Irani Cup, Vizzy Trophy, Senior Women's One-Day Knockout and the Senior Women's One-Day Challenger, among others.

The junior women's tournaments put on hold until further notice include the Under-19 One-Day knockout, Under-19 T20 League, Super League and knockout, Under-19 T20 Challenger Trophy, Under-23 knockout and Under-23 One-Day Challenger.

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BCCI's meeting with the IPL franchise owners

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah has issued a statement wherein it has been mentioned that the BCCI met the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises owners at the Board headquarters in Mumbai on Saturday to discuss the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and its impact on the upcoming season. 

Both the BCCI, as well as the IPL franchises have reiterated the Indian cricket board's stand of putting the safety and well-being of fans, athletes, and employees as a priority. The board will continue to monitor and work closely with the Government of India, state governments, and other state regulatory bodies to decide on the future course of action in the best interest of public health. The statement concluded with a message that read, "the BCCI and all its stakeholders are committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for everyone involved in our great sport and the nation."

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