IPL 2020 is 100% possible if normalcy returns by October: Ashish Nehra

Former India left-arm pacer Ashish Nehra believes there is a possibility of the IPL taking place in the last quarter of the year, provided the COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control worldwide by the month of October. The IPL 2020, which was scheduled to be played from March 29, has been suspended till April 15 with no clarity yet on whether it would go ahead at all. "Even if the IPL doesn't happen in August, (because) there are a lot of places in India that witness rains during that month and there are high chances that lots of matches will get cancelled," Nehra told on Star Sports 1 Hindi show 'Cricket Connected'.  "If things go back to normal around the world by October, we'll have a 100 per cent clearance," he reckoned.

'IPL 2020 is 100 per cent possible'

With the spike in coronavirus cases and deaths showing no signs of relenting across the world, there are slim chances of the IPL happening this year.  The deadly contagion has claimed nearly 150 Indian lives apart from causing more than 80,000 global deaths which has forced countries, including India, to go under lockdown in their bid to flatten the curve. Meanwhile, Nehra feels former star all-aounder Yuvraj Singh has always excelled while playing under Mahendra Singh Dhoni's captaincy. 

"Yuvraj has played well under MS Dhoni, as far as I have seen Yuvraj's career, the way he has batted in 2007 and 2008 onwards it has been impeccable and in 2011 we saw how he braved his sickness and played brilliantly under Dhoni. 

"I feel every player has their own choice of a favourite captain when they play for 16 years and Yuvraj played well under Dhoni according to me," he said. 

Image credits: PTI