We try to put a smile on the faces of people watching the game: Anjum Chopra

IPL may have had to halt midway owing to rise in number of cases in a few teams, but the effort that went into organizing the tournament was exemplary. Former India captain Anjum Chopra, while talking to India Today, said that everyone involved with the tournament was aware of what was happening amid the Covid-19 second wave in the country, and they made a conscious effort to do their job and bring smiles to people who were watching the action through their screens at home.

Chopra praised the bio-bubble arrangement made by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), terming it safe and satisfying. She was quick to add that the players and the broadcasters signed up to do their job, knowing the challenges they would be facing.

Anjum also added that since the broadcasters and players were part of different bubbles, there was minimum interaction between them.

"There was no anxiety as such. It's not what's happening in a team bubble that leads to anxiety. Players reside in their own bubble. But yes, there were concerns. As individuals, we were pretty much aware and conscious of what's happening around and we were following all the precautions," she said.

"There is no doubt that it was a good, safe bubble. Something has happened, I am sure they will get to how it happened. For us, we were told which areas we were told what to do and what not to do, where to go and where not to go.”

"We, as individuals, are all in this together. It's a time when no one is having it easy. The virus has probably touched every household in the country. But that's the stage that we are in at the moment. What I try to do is, just try to hold on, that's the only thing I can do. It's not easy, it's very tough."

"As cricketers and broadcasters, we are not oblivious to what's happening. We have not had it easy right from the time we left our houses. No one has had it easy."

"It's not that we have had a luxurious time in the bio-bubble. We respect the fact that all this work comes at a cost and that cost is to be away from our family. We are trying to work to the best of our abilities and try to put a smile on the faces of people watching us and that has been a very conscious effort from all of us."

Since the tournament was cancelled, there have been murmurs over BCCI’s decision to conduct the tournament at multiple venues. However, Anjum feels that such discussions are a normal in hindsight.

"Now, all these discussions will come, which is absolutely fair. Something has to go wrong for other discussions to start. Not doing it in one city and having it 6 cities and then having it parallelly running in two cities at the same time, I am sure a lot of thought would have gone into it."

"Whether it turned out to be the right decision or the wrong decision, that is all in hindsight but these decisions are never taken in isolation. I am sure everyone got into the huddle, they decided it.”

"So maybe as time progresses, they will realize how to tighten up those loopholes and strengthen it further,” she concluded.