Yuzvendra Chahal doesn't want IPL 2020 without fans
IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore player Yuzvendra Chahal doesn't want IPL 2020 to be played without fans in attendance. Talking about the current crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic, Chahal opined that players should come back for the mega event only after full eradication of the disease.
In a Live Instagram session with renowned comedian Archana Puran Singh, Chahal acknowledged the health concerns that have emerged due to COVID-19 in the entire world.
Recently, IPL team Delhi Capitals' latest purchase Ajinkya Rahane, along with Mumbai Indians all-rounders Krunal Pandya and Hardik Pandya, backed the staging of IPL 2020 behind closed doors. They supported the idea of providing entertainment to the public in the current situation.
However, unlike his Indian teammates, Chahal told that the presence of spectators was necessary for the cash-rich league to be played and that without the fans, IPL 2020 won't be as much fun.
"If the audiences don't come to watch matches, there is no fun."
IPL 2020 behind closed doors an option for BCCI
Organising IPL 2020 behind a closed door is an option BCCI has been considering ever since the first lockdown. In a Sportskeeda Exclusive, a team official recently explained that IPL 2020 without fans in the stadiums can survive.
The team official said that since most of the audience watches the IPL through their mobile phones or TV sets or the internet, IPL 2020 won't lose much in terms of revenue.
"The biggest challenge is to conduct the IPL this season. However, the current situation is quite grim and it doesn't look so simple. If at all the event is conducted, the people may not be allowed to watch the games live. But as more than 90 percent of the IPL audience in on TV and the internet, it won't be a big issue other than losing the gate receipts. It is still so much better than cancelling the IPL this season."