Sports Then and Now

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is packed with moments nobody expected, but perhaps never more so than right now. The spread of coronavirus, also referred to as COVID-19, has led to the suspension of the IPL until April 15, 2020.

In truth, many experts don’t believe the IPL will resume on that date, and that it will be pushed back even farther. Right now, we can’t predict when cricket will be back on our screens – but there are some things we can predict, like great betting opportunities!

Typically, it’s pretty easy to guess who will be the favourite and who will be the underdog in an IPL match. Pitch the Mumbai Indians against the Rajasthan Royals and it’s safe to say we know where the smart money goes.

However, could coronavirus lead to different patterns of betting in the IPL?

For one thing, we need to think about government policies. Different countries are employing radically different approaches to this new threat. Some countries, like Italy, have gone into full lockdown mode, trying to kill coronavirus by keeping people indoors as much as possible. Others are taking a different approach, with the introduction of herd immunity floated as one theory to help beat the virus.

In other regions, coronavirus is yet to have a drastic impact. The result of this is a staggered effect across the world, so there’s no one timeline to fit every country. Just as one country appears to be getting over the coronavirus, another may still be weeks or even months behind.

What does this mean for the IPL? A lack of key players, potentially.

Under the assumption the IPL may not begin on April 15, it’s likely many foreign IPL players will be granted the opportunity to travel home. Firstly, they won’t be training with the group, so they won’t need to be nearby. And secondly, athletes may want to be with their families in case they fall ill.

Once the IPL churns back into action, some of these players may find it difficult to return to India. Travel bans are already in place in the U.S. and areas of Asia, with an increasing number of European countries following their lead.

Imagine the Chennai Super Kings returning to action without the help of Faf du Plessis, Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo and David Willey (among others). Given the IPL is suspended, now may be the perfect time to study the background of each player and think about who may end up in quarantine, or facing obstructive travel restrictions.

If the 2020 IPL cricket season does get underway again, we’ll need to make up for lost time. That means more games, with less of a break in between each match. Without a shadow of a doubt, this will benefit the fittest players with the best stamina. We’ve found that cricketprediction.com/ipl is a great cricket betting site which takes things like this into account to give accurate predictions on IPL matches.

A recent Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) meeting saw the suggestion of limited venues being brought in to host all IPL matches. This would give a major advantage to teams and players situated close to the grounds which are used. Better yet, some teams will be able to play in their home stadium – a mega advantage! Looking at the geography of the fixtures could help you make smart bets.

Empty stadiums are looking unavoidable, with real games being played sans fans. Will the players be strong enough, psychologically, to power through with no support? Could we see weaker teams rallying against the favourites and upsetting the odds more frequently? 

If you’re placing a bet on the IPL 2020 cricket season, make sure you take these unusual circumstances into consideration to give yourself the best chance of winning.