Between Wickets | IPL: late call, but the right one as things spiral down rapidly

There were murmurs that players were finding it difficult to focus and talked openly of returning home

Calling off the IPL was the right — if delayed — decision, even if the Board of Control for Cricket in India had its hand forced by the rapid developments once the bio-bubble had been breached, exposing players in what, technically, was the safest real estate in the country. Players from three franchises tested positive, matches had to be rescheduled, and the venues chosen had some of the highest number of COVID cases in India. There were murmurs too that players were finding it difficult to focus on the games or motivate themselves, and talked openly of returning home. It would have been surprising if it had been otherwise. These are difficult times, and the BCCI did well finally to cut its losses and do the humane thing. I suspect this might not be a popular decision among hardcore fans, judging by some of the reaction to this column last week where I suggested the IPL be called off.