‘Heart-breaking to see a country I love so much suffering’ – Kevin Pietersen reacts after IPL 2021 gets postponed indefinitely

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen was ‘heartbroken’ after the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) had to be postponed for an indefinite time period amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament got underway on April 09 and 29 matches took place, but after a spike in the coronavirus cases, the BCCI pulled the plug on the tournament.

The second wave of the ungodly virus has gotten India in its grip as the number of infected cases is going up at an alarming rate. Pietersen, who worked in the commentary panel during the tournament, dropped in a tweet, expressing his grief. He also asked the people of India to stay strong in the critical situation and wait for the pandemic to pass.

Pietersen’s tweet came after the decision to postpone the IPL was taken. He took to Twitter and wrote, “India – it’s heart-breaking to see a country I love so much suffering! Crying face. You WILL get through this! You WILL be stronger coming out of this! Your kindness & generosity NEVER goes unnoticed even during this crisis.”

Kevin Pietersen’s tweet

India – it’s heartbreaking to see a country I love so much suffering! 😢

You WILL get through this!
You WILL be stronger coming out of this!
Your kindness & generosity NEVER goes unnoticed even during this crisis! 🙏🏽#IncredibleIndia ❤️

— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) May 4, 2021

To start with, the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore was rescheduled after two KKR players, Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier were tested positive for the virus. Among the other cricketers, Wriddhiman Saha and Amit Mishra also tested positive.

Members of the Chennai Super Kings were tested positive as well. The decision to postpone the IPL was taken after a meeting between the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council.

“The BCCI does not want to compromise on the safety of the players, support staff, and the other participants involved in organising the IPL. CSK also pulled out of their match against the Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday, May 5. This decision was taken keeping the safety, health and wellbeing of all the stakeholders in mind.

“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,” an official statement read.