The Indian Premier League Season 14 could see its conclusion due to a breach of bio-bubble amid sharply rising Covid-19 cases in the country. As Rajasthan Royals’ Chetan Sakariya returned home, hoping to spend time with his family, he found his father battling the virus in a hospital.
The second wave of the novel coronavirus has engulfed everyone. Be it celebrities or common people, there’s virtually no one whose life hasn’t been impacted by the dramatic spike in the number of Covid-positive cases. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) organised the IPL 2021 in bio-bubble environment, yet the virus managed to enter.
A number of players from four different franchises as well as a few support staff got infected. Fortunately for Sakariya, half of the IPL did take place, helping him earn some money that he could send to his family in this hour of need.
“I was lucky because I had received my part payment from Rajasthan Royals a few days ago. I straight away transferred money back home, and that is helping my family the most in my toughest time,” Sakariya told The Indian Express after coming to know that his father had tested positive for the virus last week.
IPL and BCCI have had their criticism for running the T20 league amid this raging pandemic. Sakariya, who represented Rajasthan Royals this season, asserted that if it wasn’t for IPL, he would not have been able to earn money for his father’s treatment.
“People are saying stop IPL. I want to tell them something, I am the only bread earner in my family. Cricket is the only source of my earnings. I can give better treatment to my father because of the money I earned from IPL. Had this tournament not happened for a month, it would have been tougher for me. I come from a poor family, my father all his life drove tempo and because of IPL my whole life was about to change,” said the left-arm speedster.
Since returning home, Sakariya has been regularly going to the hospital to check on his father. While his father’s health remains the priority, the young seamer is hopeful of the remainder of the league happening soon.
“I am the only member in my community who has earned so much. My mother doesn’t know how many zeros are there in crores. Our first priority is to see my father back and then build that home. For that, IPL should happen,” he said.
Sakariya’s rise in the IPL has been nothing short of a fairytale. Some reports also suggest that the pacer could even head to England as a net-bowler, having impressed many with his left-arm pace bowling.
