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Foreign players are important as they bring different flavour to IPL: Sunil Gavaskar

BCCI deferred IPL, which was slated to commence on March 29, till April 15 as no players from overseas could come to India in time after the Indian government suspended visas till April 15.

Foreign players are important as they bring different flavour to IPL: Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar. (Photo: IANS)

Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar feels that the presence of foreign players in Indian Premier League (IPL) is important as they bring a different flavour to the cash-rich league and add to the excitement of the spectators.

“Foreign players bring a different flavour to the tournament and add to the excitement, so it’s important to have them,” said Gavaskar as quoted by IANS via Sportstar.

Gavaskar’s opinion comes to the fore after the Indian government suspended the foreign visas till April 15 in the wake of novel Coronavirus. The suspension forced BCCI to defer IPL, which was slated to commence on March 29, till April 15 as no players from overseas could come to India in time. However, the extention of visa suspension may see the mega event happen without the presence of foreign players.

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“Whether the IPL will be played at all depends on how quickly the spread of COVID-19 is controlled. Till April 15 overseas players won’t get a visa so it may take a bit longer for the tournament to take off,” said Gavaskar.

Meanwhile, the former India skipper praised Sourav Ganguly-led organisation for suspending the cash-rich league for a while as the coronavirus is spreading its hold and conducting such an event anytime soon wouldn’t be safe.

“The decision by the BCCI to suspend the IPL till April 15 is a laudable one. The health and safety of a nation are more important than sport and it’s wonderful that the usually much-maligned BCCI has put that before anything else,” the legendary batsman added.

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