Sunil Gavaskar reckons possibility of T20 World Cup taking place 'higher' than IPL

As international cricket eyes resumption after the Coronavirus outbreak with the West Indies' tour of England, fans across the globe also seem hopeful of the upcoming T20 World Cup to be held as per the schedule. However, the ICC is yet to give its verdict on the issue, former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar feels that the possibility of the T20 World Cup in 2020 is high. This comes after Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison hinted at a return of up to 10,000 spectators at sporting venues from July.

Speaking to a publication, Gavaskar opined that after the announcement by the Australian government there seems to be a possibility of conducting a T20 World Cup in October. He added that the teams might have to reach three weeks earlier to have seven days of practice games and 14-day quarantine as well. The ICC has introduced a mandatory 'bio-secure bubble' which requires the visiting team to be quarantined in the host nation weeks before the matches commence.

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However, Gavaskar also stated that with the chances of the T20 World Cup looking bright, the possibility of having IPL will be bleak because the events would then lead to a clash. As per IPL CEO Brijesh Patel, the plan now is to get the IPL going somewhere in September-October, while BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has stated that the board is trying everything possible to make sure that IPL takes place this year.  

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'Only when things are safe': Harbhajan Singh

While interacting on the cricket segment of a news channel, Harbhajan Singh went on to say that he really wants the IPL to happen but only when things are safe not just for him but for everybody associated with the tournament.  He then mentioned that there are about 200-300 people on the ground whenever a match is played and the safety of everyone present should be taken care of.

The veteran offie then added that even if there is a 1% chance of the threat of spreading COVID-19 from one anyone of the persons, then IPL should be further postponed. He said it is not an issue even if the IPL does not take place this year as saving lives is more important and if the virus spreads through the IPL then the tournament should not happen and should only take place when things are safe. 

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