West Indies Twenty20 sensation Sherfane Rutherford is still optimistic that this year’s edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will bowl off amid growing threats from the deadly Coronavirus pandemic.
Following a brief interview with Stabroek Sports yesterday, the 21- year-old informed that his agent advised him that the tournament, as of now, is still on the cards but possibly at a later date.
“My agent told me that the tournament will be played but we are not sure about the dates,” he said.
Asked whether he was in contact with his team – Mumbai Indians – about logistics for the 13th edition of the IPL, Rutherford noted that the franchise last communicated that the tournament would be starting on the 15 April 2020.
However, he noted that this is an unlikely prospect at the moment.
The event is especially important for him as he seeks to regain his place in the West Indies set up ahead of the World T20 World Cup in Australia later this year. He last played for the West Indies in January against Ireland but was excluded from the squad for the side’s subsequent tour to Sri Lanka in February.
Meanwhile, concerns surrounding the hosting of the tournament emerged ever since the virus made its move around the world. The tournament was initially scheduled to commence on March 29 but was postponed to April 15 following a meeting by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). India is currently under a 21-day nation-wide lockdown which ends on April 15, putting more doubt on the start of the tournament.
There have been unconfirmed reports that some stakeholders, including team owners and executives, were in favour of going ahead without the international stars, which could exclude Rutherford and a number of other international names.
