'Outsiders' Gary Lineker, Piers Morgan irk Indian fans for demanding IPL 2021 cancellation

As the coronavirus pandemic in India continues to worsen, Indian fans are becoming increasingly worried about whether IPL 2021 will continue or not. According to reports, India recorded over 3.79 lakh cases in the past 24 hours. As a result, Gary Lineker and Piers Morgan have called for the cancellation of the marquee tournament. In response, fans slammed these 'outsiders' for indulging in Indian affairs.

Is IPL 2021 cancelled? Gary Lineker and Piers Morgan demand cancellation

The cricketing fraternity is increasingly divided on the issue of whether the IPL should be cancelled or not amid the rising coronavirus cases in India. Several former cricketers have urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to cancel the event and also ban all sporting activity until the Covid-19 situation in India improves. The increasing angst about the IPL has also prompted foreign journalists to voice their concerns about the IPL.

Gary Lineker, a former English footballer and current sports broadcaster, was shocked to see the IPL continue considering the number of people that were dying as a result of the Covid outbreak. Lineker wrote:

While Lineker's response seemed more of a request to the Indian authorities to cancel the event, Morgan directly targetted India's leadership. Morgan held Prime Minister Narendra Modi responsible for the increasing Covid woes and criticised his 'irresponsible leadership.' His tweet can be seen below.

Meanwhile, there is no update either by the BCCI or by the Indian government, suggesting that IPL 2021 will go ahead as planned.

Fans slam 'outsiders' Gary Lineker and Piers Morgan for demanding IPL 2021 cancellation

With fans having little to do while staying at home, several were extremely upset that outsiders would indulge in the affairs of their country and demand the cancellation of their favourite tournament. The IPL 2021 is a common distraction amongst fans and also encourages them to stay at home in these difficult times. John Etheridge, a sports correspondent, responded to Lineker as he wrote:

Similarly, another fan wrote:

With Piers Morgan questioning India's leadership, Indian fans were unimpressed and gave an equally befitting response. One fan for example wrote:

IPL 2021 schedule

As per the IPL 2021 schedule, Mumbai Indians (MI) will take on the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in match 24 of the IPL 2021 on Thursday, April 29 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The MI vs RR match will commence live at 3:30 PM IST. Fans can watch MI vs RR live on the Star Sports Network.