Reportedly, a total of 57 members have been tested positive for Covid-19 on the eve of Cooch Behar Trophy commencement, a domestic Under-19 tournament. 30 players, nine coaching staff and the rest include ground staff have tested positive as the domestic circuit once again suffers from the pandemic outbreak. The tournament will now be in jeopardy as tournaments like Ranji Trophy, CK Naidu Trophy tournaments are already postponed indefinitely.
The competition's future now remains in limbo as preparations are affected for all the eight teams participating in the tournament. The Under-19 tournament includes eight teams that are due to play a four-day domestic knock-out tournament starting on Tuesday.
“We will take a call on it soon. As the tournament was already on, we didn’t want it to stop but soon we will have to take a decision on it,” a BCCI official said after the latest outbreak in Pune.
Eight teams will be participating in the tournament as they gear up for the competition in Pune. Mumbai, Maharashtra, Vidarbha, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Bengal are all part of the U-19 tournament.
If the outbreak of the pandemic continues the BCCI will have to look for solutions for the future, as the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season can also face huge ramifications due to Covid-19. The IPL commission is already planning to reschedule the latest season for smooth operation during the outbreak.
The IPL, which is scheduled to start in the first week of April is now taunted to start in the final week of March. The latest setback though, could serve as a learning lesson for BCCI as they still have time to make the necessary arrangements for the blockbuster tournament.
