Cricket News Today: Hardik Pandya talks about mental challenges he endured, availability of foreign players in IPL and more - 12th March 2020  

Hello and welcome to the daily round-up of the most important cricketing news for the day.

To start with we have Hardik Pandya talking about the challenges that he faced during his rehabilitation and also the unique record that lies ahead of him upon his return to the Indian National Team.

There was also news regarding the possibility of foreign players perhaps missing out on the Indian Premier League due to the visa concerns amid the coronavirus epidemic.

The remaining matches of the Road Safety World Series which commenced on March 7th is set to take place behind closed doors. There is also the possibility of the IPL following this course of action and staying away from the public.

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#1 Government says to hold any sporting event behind closed doors as speculation over IPL 2020 continues

MS Dhoni has begun his preparations for the upcoming IPL

The Indian government has issued a statement saying that any sporting event happening in the country must be held behind closed doors. The Union Sports Secretary of India, Radhey Shyam Julaniya, has specified to all national federations including the BCCI to avoid public gatherings.

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As reported by IANS, Julaniya commented, "All national federations, including the BCCI, have been told to adhere to the guidelines and advisory issued by the ministry of health and public welfare. We have also told them to avoid any public gathering and if a sporting event has to be organized it should be done without gathering of people."

Amid the spread of coronavirus, the statement comes at a time when all the teams participating in the IPL look to begin preparations. With the IPL governing body set to hold a meeting on Saturday, there doesn't seem to be much discussion in the matter.

The health and welfare of the public will always be the priority and Julaniya further went on to say that the Epidemic Act of 1987 empowers the state governments to hold such events and if it unavoidable then it should be conducted behind closed doors and away from the public.

#2 Hardik Pandya closing in on a unique milestone

Hardik Pandya will be one of the leading men for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL this year

Hardik Pandya is all set to return to action as India host South Africa in a three-match ODI series. Pandya had undergone back surgery and was ruled out for a couple of months. The all-rounder last played in the third T20I against South Africa at Bangalore in September last year.

With a return to the national team setup, Pandya needs to score just 43 runs to become the 13th Indian cricketer to record a tally of 1000 runs and 50 ODI wickets. This just underlines the value he brings to the national team and will be a key figure in the future.

Pandya is also set to play a massive role for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL as the franchise looks to defend their crown.

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#3 Availability of foreign players in question for IPL 2020

A lot of foreign players are essential cogs in their respective franchise's setup

Another blow to the Indian Premier League due to the outbreak of coronavirus is the possibility of the foreign players missing the IPL till April 15th. With more than 70 people in the country testing positive for COVID-19, strict visa restrictions are in place.

With the IPL set to begin on March 29, there will be no foreign players on show until the 15th of April. It's a big blow to the franchises as a lot of these foreign superstars are essential figures in the team and their absence will be clearly evident.

The tournament itself seems to be in question now as a couple of state governments are denying to host any matches due to the fear of the coronavirus spreading.

#4 Hardik Pandya talks about mental challenges during rehabilitation

Hardik Pandya was out for nearly six months

Indian national team all-rounder Hardik Pandya has recently come out and talked about the mental obstacles he faced during his rehabilitation from back surgery.

Pandya told the Indian Express, “I missed this atmosphere the most in these last six months, playing for the country and the feeling you get wearing the team’s colours. That had become a mental challenge and there were a lot of setbacks. I was trying to get back to full fitness quickly but that did not work out and a lot of mental pressure came at the time.”

He went down in a T20I against South Africa last year after which he had surgery done on his back and was out of action for nearly six months. However, he is back in the squad for the ODI series against South Africa and would be looking to get back in good touch ahead of the IPL.

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#5 Road Safety World Series to continue behind closed doors

Cricketing icons from the past have signed up for the exhibition tournament

As the coronavirus continues to threaten the safety of people of India, the remaining matches of the Road Safety World Series 2020 is scheduled to take place behind closed doors and away from the public.

The third and final leg of the tournament was supposed to take place in Pune, but due to an alarming increase in the number of cases in Maharashtra, the organizing committee has decided to conduct it in Navi Mumbai.

The likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Brian Lara, etc. have all featured in this tournament which was organized to raise awareness on road safety across the state. The tournament began on March 7 and the final is set to be played on March 22.