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Closed-door IPL the last resort, live sports unlikely before Sept: Gavaskar

The way things are going we might not be able to see any live sport for maybe 4-5 months, says former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar
There are so many fans of different sports, for them to be able to only look at the old action after a time it gets boring, says Sunil Gavaskar
BS Web Teamagencies New Delhi
3 min read Last Updated : Apr 28 2020 | 2:56 PM IST
Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar live sporting action may return only after another four-five months, when the coronavirus pandemic has hopefully been contained.
 
"The way things are going we might not be able to see any live sport for maybe 4-5 months. That's gonna be tough not just on the current players but also those who follow sport," Gavaskar told news channel India Today.
 
"There are so many fans of different sports, for them to be able to only look at the old action after a time it gets boring, for nostalgia you can go back and see what happened earlier but actually you wanna see live sport be it on television or ground and for that not being able to be seen till September that's a worrying thing and I am pretty certain that the officials of all the sports are planning plan a, b, c to get over this period of uncertainty," Gavaskar explained.

 
While there have been talks of holding an IPL behind closed doors, Gavaskar said that it should be the last option.
 
"I think that's gonna be absolutely the last resort otherwise you know when you can't have absolutely anyone at the ground only then you should play without crowds. Every performer likes to perform in front of a crowd which appreciates the skills and temperament. Same in theatre. So I think it's not going to be easy on the performers as well. Players also want to do the high fives and hugs, " he added. 
 
Here is the list of major sports tournaments that get cancelled or postponed due to coronavirus pandemic:
  
Major sports events affected by Coronavirus pandemic
Sports event Status
Tokyo Olympics Postponed to 2021
Cricket
IPL 2020 Cancelled till further notice
India vs South Africa ODI series Cancelled
Australia vs New Zealand (2nd and 3rd ODI) Cancelled
Pakistan Super League Suspended
England vs Sri Lanka Test series Cancelled
Australia vs Bangladesh Test series Postponed
Pakistan tour of The Netherlands Postponed
Australia tour of England (limited-over cricket) Postponed
West Indies tour of England  Postponed
Archery
World Cup in Shanghai Cancelled
Badminton
China masters Postponed
German Open Cancelled
Asian Championships Suspended
India Open Suspended
Swiss Open Suspended
Malaysian Open Suspended
Singapore Open Suspended
Thomas and Uber Cup finals Postponed from May to Auguts 2020
Tennis
All AITA tournaments Cancelled
BNP Paribas Open Cancelled
Miami Open Cancelled
Monte Carlo Masters Cancelled
French Open Postponed to Sept 20-OCt 4
Wimbledon 2020  Cancelled
Athletics
World Indoor Championships Nanjing Postponed to March 2021
Field Hockey
India's tour of Japan (Jr Women's Asia Cup) Postponed
FIH Pro League Suspended till June
Basketball
NBA Suspended
Shooting
New Delhi World Cup postponed to May 5-12 and June 2-9
Boxing
World Cup in Germany Cancelled
Formula one
Australian GP Cancelled
Bahrain GP Postponed
Vietnamese GP Postponed
Chinese GP Postponed
Monaco GP Cancelled
Azerbaijan GP Postponed
French GP Cancelled
Football
Champions League Suspended till further notice
Europa League Suspended till further notice
EPL and FA Cup Postponed till April 30
Euro 2020 Postponed to 2021
Copa America postponed to 2021
Fifa U-17 Women's World Cup  Postponed
 
 

Topics :CoronavirusLockdownIPL 2020Indian Premier LeagueIndia cricket teamsunil gavaskar