The ongoing conflict in West Asia has caused significant disruptions to daily life. US-Israel aggression on Iran has led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has cut India’s LPG imports from countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar. As the country faces shortage of LPG resources, India also gets ready for the start of the IPL, which is a premier event in the country.
With ongoing geopolitical tensions affecting life in India, an IPL official has stated that they are closely monitoring the developments in the region but claims that the situation is under control.
“We cannot preempt the situation. We have to wait and watch. Everyone we have spoken to says things are under control. Hotels are saying the same, so we have to go by that for now,” the official was quoted as saying in a report by India Today.
Travel plans were also put into jeopardy due to airspace closure in the region. Zimbabwe players had to travel home through Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, while South Africa and West Indies players were stranded in India for a week before a special chartered plane was arranged for them by the ICC, to Johannesburg, from where the West Indies players would travel further. There is still no clarity on whether the conflict would lead to availability issues for players, who use the Middle East as a layover destination.
The official has stated that there is no need to plan anything immediately, and all that is to be done is to watch how the situation unfolds.
“As of now, everything is alright. We will keep an eye on the situation. Why should we preempt and decide something now?” he said.
The official also stated that if the situation arises, a contingency plan will be put into place.
“We will definitely act as per the situation. If the situation demands that we do something, we will take the necessary steps,” the official added.
The IPL is scheduled to begin on March 28, with defending-champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.Â
