The Indian Premier League, the leading T20 cricket tournament in the world, has been postponed indefinitely.
This comes after staff members and players of three of the eight franchises have tested positive for Covid-19.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the sport’s governing body in that country, said in a statement that the tournament had been postponed as a safety measure. India is currently in the midst of a virulent second wave of the disease, with over 300 000 cases being reported daily.
In a statement the BCCI said: ‘These are difficult times, especially in India, and while we have tried to bring in some positivity and cheer, however, it is imperative that the tournament is now suspended and everyone goes back to their families and loved ones in these trying times.’
The tournament is about halfway completed with the Delhi Capitals currently at the top of the log.
A number of leading players had already pulled out of the tournament because of safety concerns, including Indian international, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Australians Adam Zampa and Andrew Tye.
A number of South Africans are currently in India playing in the tournament, including Proteas stalwarts Kagiso Rabada and Quinton de Kock. Cricket South Africa is reportedly in discussions with the government around how to get players from this country home from India safely.