The Indian Premier League is one of the most famous cricket leagues in the world. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has postponed the IPL 2021 after some players and staff of the IPL teams tested positive for COVID-19. The spread of COVID-19 infections had led to the postponement of two IPL games earlier. The organizers also issued an official statement and announced that the wellbeing of its players and staff is vital. And following this announcement, cricket fans were disheartened, and they converted their grief to some funny and entertaining reactions on social media.

On 6th May the Bombay High Court also disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), taking a course to the BCCI to cancel or postpone the IPL matches because of the surge in COVID-19 cases, noting that the tournament has been suspended. The court said, “If after two months the situation improves drastically, then they can always hold it (IPL). You (petitioner) can approach the court once again then. Why should we keep the matter pending before us? We are of the opinion that the cause of action in the petition does not survive”.

The BCCI has said that it will do all it can to ensure that players of the tournament get back to their homes safely, as the tournament features cricket stars from England, Australia, New Zealand, and some other countries. It started when two members of the Chennai Super Kings, bowling coach L Balaji, and a bus cleaner, tested positive for COVID-19. CEO Kasi Viswanathan’s second report came negative in the evening. And yet, Balaji and the team staff continued to be positive. Many Australian players left the IPL early as the COVID-19 crisis worsened, with Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson choosing to follow AJ Tye home, who also left the IPL to avoid being locked out. And between the definite COVID-19 concerns among Aussies, the batsman of Rajasthan Royals Liam Livingstone opted to return to England citing ‘bubble fatigue’ after spending much of the last 10 months moving in and out of the biosecure environments.

Meanwhile, India and Delhi Capitals spin commander R. Ashwin cut short his IPL season on April 25 to be with family. After IPL announced it officially on 4th May, millions of cricket fans were disheartened by the news, and they tried to convert their grief into some positivity through memes. Here are a few of the most hilarious memes and reactions to keep you entertained.

Memes after the suspension of IPL 2021:

Speaking about the postponement of the IPL 2021 amid the severe second wave of the COVID-19 across India, BCCI Vice President Rajiv Shukla has clarified that the tournament is postponed not cancelled. While taking a stock of the things post the unspecified suspension of the IPL, Rajiv Shukla said that the franchises and organizers of the elite league are looking after their players during testing times. He similarly revealed that there are not too many cases and only 2-3 franchises are affected by the recent COVID-19 surge. The BCCI Vice President said, “I want to make it clear that IPL 2021 has been not cancelled. It has been suspended, it has been postponed, it has differed, so it will happen. The remaining part of this year’s IPL will happen. But in due course, when the covid situation improves, a decision will be taken about it”.

In recent times, IPL has also gained a lot of criticism for holding on to the tournament when the country is confronting a very critical issue like COVID-19. And many people have even demanded on social media that IPL should be postponed or cancelled. However, a massive fan base of IPL also looked at this tournament as a stressbuster in these difficult times. And now that it has been cancelled, mixed reactions are coming from the entire nation. For IPL fans, this news has brought a little misery, but they are trying their best to cope with it with memes.
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Reference:

• www.theweek.in
• www.sportskeeda.com
• www.deccanherald.com