Jonty Rhodes emphasizes on the need for IPL this year

Former South Africa cricketer Jonty Rhodes has emphasized on the importance of the IPL for cricket. The 50-year-old opined that the tournament could take place by the end of the year provided the COVID-19 situation improved.

"It is very difficult to think of passing the year without IPL. It has been an integral part of the cricket calendar since 2008. From the very beginning, BCCI tries to stage IPL every year," said Rhodes.

Rhodes also spoke about the financial importance of the league and how it is necessary for the future of the players too. "IPL is also very important financially and regarding the future of the players as well. The best players in the world play in it. So, it is hard to imagine a year passing without it. To me it is meaningless to expect the cricket calendar without an IPL.

"Hopefully by the end of the year, the situation will improve and we can watch the IPL. We know that it will be played in empty stadiums. This time it will be for TV. It will be interesting to see how TV producers create an atmosphere without an audience," he added.

The future of IPL also depends on ICC’s decision on the T20 World Cup, which is expected to come any time this month. According to Rhodes the T20 World Cup looks improbable at the moment.

"In IPL, it will be that the players will come from outside, they will be quarantined, the teams will get tested, but the fans in the IPL will be from India.

"Whereas with the World Cup, it is the fans of other teams who will also come to watch the match. It would be very difficult to stage the tournament in such a situation. The Olympics has also been postponed due to this pandemic. Looking at the current situation, I think there are dark clouds on the T20 World Cup," he added.