'I am optimistic at some stage we will have something' - Virat Kohli on IPL 2020

The coronavirus has brought the entire world to a standstill. This has created a situation where no sporting events are happening across the globe. The Indian Premier League (IPL) has taken a really big hit. The tournament which was supposed to start on March 29, has been suspended until further notice.

Initially, the 13th edition of IPL was postponed till April 15. However, with India continuing lockdown for another few weeks, the BCCI had to abide by the government’s decision. Indian captain Virat Kohli, who is also the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), on Friday, in an interaction said that he is positive about the T20 extravaganza going ahead at some point later this year.

Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers went live on Instagram on Friday

During his live chat session with IPL teammate AB de Villiers, Kohli said that the situation in India is getting better and IPL 2020 will be played at some point. Though he also mentioned that there has been no official update on the matter as of now. “We have no clarity at this moment but I am optimistic that at some stage we will have something,” the 31-year-old said.

The BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had earlier suggested that IPL 2020 could be shortened due to the global pandemic. However, even that seems unlikely now as there is no way the 13th edition can get over within the time slot guaranteed for the league.

Having said that, IPL 2020 could take place later in the year. This could mean that international fixtures will be swapped with the cash-rich league. There is a T20 World Cup later this year and if the competition is postponed, then a window opens up in October-November for the IPL to take place.

Coming back to the live session between Virat Kohli and ABD, the two legendary batsmen talked about the situations in their respective countries. The two also discussed doing something together by which they could help to feed the needy and the poor. During the interaction, Kohli also said that he will never leave RCB until he is playing cricket. The Indian captain has been with the franchise since the inception of the league back in 2008.