As India suffers a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic with a mutated version of the original virus with a significantly higher rate of spreading, the plan prepared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to hold the Indian Premier League on home soil, becomes more and more difficult to execute.

Mumbai, which is one of the six major locations for the 2021 edition of the Indian T20 league, remains one of the worst-hit cities in the country to be affected by the new strain and has become a big cause of worry for those who live around the iconic Wankhede cricket stadium, especially as the tournament begins in a couple of days.

Some residents near the Wankhede Stadium request CM Uddhav Thackeray to shift IPL matches from the iconic venue.

Remains to be seen whether there would be any response from the state government on this.#IPL2021 https://t.co/0VuglfhGpa

— Subhayan Chakraborty (@CricSubhayan) April 5, 2021

While the rules established by the BCCI do not allow any spectators inside the stadium when the matches are taking place, there is no rule stopping the fans from crowding in front of the stadium, just to steal a glimpse of some of the most favourite cricketers as they make their way to the matches.

The potential of hundreds of people getting together in one such small location, therefore, becomes a major reason of concern for the residents around the stadium. According to media reports, residents have also written mails to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to consider moving the IPL matches away from Mumbai and asking the BCCI to use one of their backup facilities for the same.

Excerpts from new Covid-19 restrictions by Government of Maharashtra @OfficeofUT @AUThackeray. While we know Mr. Jay Shah / @IPL is above all, atleast come up with corrigendum declaring Wankhede/Brabourne not to be treated as Sports Complex. Junta deserves optical "transparency" pic.twitter.com/kzmJOjbcVk

— Nikhil Somani (@NIKHILSO) April 8, 2021

On April 2, a resident of D Road which is right next to the Wankhede stadium wrote to the CM: “The state government is compelled to restrict religious and other social activities like marriages, deaths etc. and contrary to this, in these difficult times, IPL cricket matches of such magnitude lasting over several days is permitted.”

“Every year during the matches, there are parking restrictions, which make it difficult for the senior residents and is unacceptable in these times of Covid,” wrote another resident.

#DelhiCapitals captain Rishabh Pant is planning to do "something different" against MS Dhoni's #CSK on April 10. #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/3X3gO9cuBE

— Circle of Cricket (@circleofcricket) April 6, 2021

Ironically, the inaugural match of the season is scheduled to take place at Wankhede between Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings and Rishabh Pant’s Delhi Capitals. The two franchises have been at the venue for about a week and have been visiting the stadium for practice, rather regularly.

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