Delhi was an Indian Premier League (IPL) venue, as well as the city, was reeling from the beginning of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. But BCCI turned a blind eye to the hundreds of people who were dying daily in the national capital.
Out of 4 IPL match days in Delhi 3 days more people died of Covid-19 than the number of runs scored by the competing teams in the IPL.
On the 4 days when IPL matches were played in Delhi, 1,582 people died of Covid-19 and 96,202 fresh Covid-19 cases were reported.
The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) continued to prefer commerce over the human tragedy that is still unfolding before everyone.
The BCCI gave an excuse that the IPL provided a few hours of relief or entertainment to people during the pandemic. However, people countered this by saying “When people in immediate or extended families are dying, and thousands are crying for oxygen to survive and hospital beds for treatment, who will look for entertainment?”
Only when the Covid-19 virus penetrated the IPL bio-bubble and 4 teams players and support staff were tested positive for Covid-19, the BCCI was forced to postpone the league but it was not done because of the nationwide human tragedy.
IPL match days in Delhi (Covid-19 deaths and IPL runs scored):
April 28th (24 more deaths than runs scored):
Chennai Super Kings (173/3) vs SunRisers Hyderabad (171/3) = 344
Deaths 368; Fresh cases: 26,354 = 26,722
April 29th (52 more deaths than the runs scored):
Mumbai Indians (172/3) vs Rajasthan Royals (171/4) = 343
Deaths: 395; Fresh cases: 24,235 = 24,630
May 1st (25 more runs than the deaths):
Mumbai Indians (219/6) vs Chennai Super Kings (218/4) = 437 runs
Deaths: 412; Fresh cases: 25,219 = Total: 25,631
May 2nd (22 more deaths than the runs scored):
Rajasthan Royals (220/3) vs SunRisers Hyderabad (165/8) = 385 runs
Deaths: 407; Fresh cases: 20,394 = 20,801