Following the outbreak of the global pandemic in 2020, the IPL for that year was indefinitely suspended, although it was eventually held in the UAE in the autumn.
Before the start of the 2021 season, the BCCI were determined that the IPL would once again be staged in India. However, with COVID-19 still a real threat, the tournament was confined to six cities in India in order to minimise unnecessary travel. Teams were forced to stay in biosecure bubbles, effectively isolating them in their hotels, except to train and play.
The tournament got underway as usual, until players and support staff began to fall sick. It began in the Kolkata Knight Riders camp, spread to the Chennai Super Kings, and soon almost every team had at least one member of staff test positive for COVID-19.
It appeared that there had been multiple breaches of the biosecure bubbles. At the same time, some overseas players faced a desperate scramble to get home, particularly after the Australian government’s decision to ban all travellers from India.
That led the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council to call an emergency meeting, during which they took a unanimous decision to postpone the season with immediate effect. They felt it was too risky for the safety of players, support staff and the others involved. The decision was taken with the safety, health, and well-being of all the stakeholders in mind.
A detailed plan was then put in place to repatriate all the players, whether they Indian or overseas.
The IPL eventually resumed four months later, not in India but once again in the UAE, due to international travel restrictions as well as infection rates.
COVID-19 has not disappeared from India completely – or indeed from the rest of the world. There have been several instances of players and support staff testing positive even in this season. At one stage, there were even calls for it to be called off. Thankfully, it looks like IPL 2022 will be competed on Indian soil.