Return of IPL symbolic of positivity over prevailing negativity, proclaims Uday Shankar
Star India’s Chairman Uday Shankar has proclaimed that the return of IPL season in September is symbolic of positivity prevailing over COVID-19 negativity in the country. He also admitted that the BCCI is committed to make the tournament a priority, taking care of all safety measures required.
IPL was slated to start in the month of March, owing to the T20 World Cup Down Under in October. However, on the back of a widely affected situation due to COVID-19, the tournament was postponed, with a later date still speculated. After months of anticipation, the IPL governing council confirmed earlier that the competition would go ahead, starting September 19.Â
Giving an insight into the preparation of the cash-rich league, Star India’s chairman Uday Shankar proclaimed that the return of IPL is symbolic of positivity prevailing over negativity in the country. He also added that the tournament is integral and crucial for social lives, with most parts of the country still under lockdown.Â
“Very, and at multiple levels. I think it’s very important for the IPL to come back from the point of view of the Indian society. There are literally very few assets that move an entire country like this and the IPL has become fundamental to our social lives. At a time when the country has been gripped by concerns, and people have mostly been spending time locked indoors, something as important to their lives as the IPL coming back is highly symbolic of the triumph of things positive over things negative,” Uday told TOI.Â
On top of that, importantly, Uday also appreciated and applauded the efforts of the BCCI to make the tournament happen within a safe environment, through the bio-secure bubble. He also opined that the two-month-long event would change the mood of the entire country, from hopeful ones to positive ones.Â
"The protocol we’ve designed for this IPL can become a global benchmark for any tournament to be held safely. We’ll be doing it at three stadiums with 700+ crew and around 90 commentators working across UAE, India and globally to operate under Covid-related SOPs for 60-75 days. There’ll be a bio-secure bubble in Mumbai to entail 400-plus staffers across six floors of the production facility. Rigorous testing protocols for all staffers entailing pre-screening, testing before entry, and periodic testing during stay. Stringent sanitization and social distancing protocols at production facilities and multiple zones are being set up to keep teams separated."