NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir believes that the coronavirus pandemic will not impact the performance of the cricketers when they participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the UAE. The former Delhi Capitals captain also stressed that players must adhere to the guidelines put in place.
"I don't think that players will be afraid of it. It is important to be in the bio-secure bubble and follow the guidelines. Just because of one person, the tournament can't be sacrificed. So, it is important to follow the instructions and guidelines," Gambhir told ANI.
The 13th edition of the league will be played from September 19 to November 10, across three venues in the UAE -- Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai. Last month, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had confirmed that 13 personnel including two players tested positive for COVID-19.
Speaking on the chances of Delhi Capitals winning the tournament, Gambhir said that in IPL, there is no certainty about anything and also raised the point that Indian players have not played the game for a long time due to the pandemic.
"IPL is a kind of tournament where any team can beat another team. The most important thing is how you start the journey. Also, the Indian players haven't played any cricket for the last 6 months so whether they are rusty or not will be known once the tournament starts," he said.
Meanwhile, Yuvraj Singh has sent a mail to BCCI President Sourav Ganguly and Secretary Jay Shah seeking permission to come out of retirement.
Reflecting on the same, Gambhir said: "It's his personal decision and each and everyone loves seeing Yuvi play. If he wants to play for Punjab so why not? You can't force a cricketer to start or to end and if he wants to come back from retirement and play with motivation, he is most welcome."