David Warner lauds SunRisers Hyderabad for pledging Rs 10 crores to COVID-19 relief fund

Australian cricketer David Warner lauded Sun TV Group which own his IPL franchise - SunRisers Hyderabad - for donating towards COVID-19 relief measures. Earlier in the day, SunRisers Hyderabad had revealed that the group is donating Rs 10 crores towards relief measures amid the pandemic that has gripped the entire country. So far, there are 5218 active Coronavirus cases while 169 deaths have been reported across the country. 

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Franchises pitch in

Several franchises of the cash-rich tournament have come forward in this battle against the global pandemic to donate to the PM CARES relief dun. Kings XI Punjab led the way as it was the first franchise to pledge their support to the relief fund. Delhi Capitals made a humungous donation of whopping Rs 100 crores while Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians also joined the fight. 

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Apart from the franchises, several cricketers, the BCCI and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly pledged support to the relief fund. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has contributed a sum of Rs. 51 Crores to the PM-CARES Fund which is an initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in order to combat the deadly COVID-19.  

Meanwhile, former Indian skipper and current BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has pledged to distribute rice worth Rs 50 lakh while Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar (Rs. 50 lakh each) and Suresh Raina (Rs. 52 lakh) have come forward to lend a helping hand during this need of the hour.  

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Uncertainty over IPL

As per reports, the stakeholders are looking at the September-November window later this year to make the IPL 2020 season happen. The organisers are keen on having a go at this plan even if it’s a short season without foreign players.

If IPL 2020 indeed takes place without overseas players, there are fears that the tournament may lose its charm. According to a BCCI official, it would be exactly like another Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy if the foreign cricketers don’t play their trade in IPL 2020. However, the IPL officials are still optimistic and are hopeful that the presence of top India stars at the IPL 2020 will be enough to attract the fans to the stadiums. 

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