Cricket goes viral again with IPL

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With the IPL, cricket has a chance at reviving its flagging spirits and fortunes in the UAE
With the IPL, cricket has a chance at reviving its flagging spirits and fortunes in the UAE

Dubai - This tournament is not for the faint-hearted as the players first dodge the coronavirus and duck bouncers on the pitch

By Allan Jacob

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Published: Thu 20 Aug 2020, 1:02 PM

Last updated: Thu 20 Aug 2020, 3:08 PM

This season of the Indian Premier League bears a baggage of both surprises and uncertainty as it heads to the UAE on Thursday. Which makes one wonder, what's in store for the average cricket fan who faces daunting challenges in the pursuit of the game?

The virus has reverse-swung at humanity, and all that men, women and their machines have built over centuries lies in a shambles. With the IPL, cricket has a chance at reviving its flagging spirits and fortunes in the UAE. A successful staging of the tournament would prove that men and woman can rise above their frailties and confront adversity in the eye by throwing in some healthy competition.

A sterilised form of cricket that the doctor ordered need not be stale if players, officials and fans follow Covid safety protocols, but the uncertainty is profound with the second wave of infections sweeping the world.

When the teams arrive in the UAE over the weekend, a small victory would have already been won for both the game and humanity. The longer battle would then begin over ninety days for the teams and players on the pitch after health tests and quarantines.

This tournament is not for the faint-hearted as the players first dodge the coronavirus  and duck bouncers on the pitch. This IPL is proof that cricket has dug in for the long haul. It won't duck from a crisis, but will prevail and go viral.


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