New Delhi: Delhi Capitals Co-owner Mr Parth Jindal on Wednesday said that he wants the 13th edition of the India Premier League (IPL) to take place, even if the tournament is to be held in empty stands with no spectators due to COVID-19 outbreak. As per Jindal, the T20 League will play a major role in uplifting the spirits of the cricket-loving country in such tough times.

IPL 2020, which was due to start on March 29, currently stands indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“COVID-19 has put LIVE sport in a difficult spot, especially in terms of fan engagement. The need for LIVE sport has never been felt in this way before, and it’s vital to bring it back to heighten the morale of the population. Globally, there are countries worse affected than India who are gradually resuming their national leagues – like the Premier League in England, and Bundesliga in Germany. Talks have begun on the NBA’s comeback in America too. I feel the IPL has a huge role in uplifting the spirits of the country,” he said during an interaction with the franchise’s fans over an Instagram LIVE.

“There can be no substitute for LIVE sport. Fans may not have access to stadiums this year, but that will give the franchises and broadcasters an opportunity to innovate their fan engagement even more.” he added.

The newly christened Delhi Capitals with youngster Shreyas Iyer as its skipper witnessed a great turnaround in fortunes. The Delhi franchise managed to finish in the top four of the points table just three times, in past 11 seasons of the cash-rich tournament before the year 2019. Just when the' fans stopped expecting from its beloved team, Delhi Capitals scripted a magical story in the last year and attained their ultimate goal (of qualifying for the play-offs) with two games still in their hand. Thanks to some brilliant all-round performance from the team and the 'masterstroke' played by team management of appointing former India captain Sourav Ganguly as their advisor.

Remembering the 2019 season, Jindal gave credit to the Ricky Ponting-Sourav Ganguly duo that was at the helm of affairs.

“2019 was about setting standards, and creating a culture. And Ricky and Dada did a wonderful job of it, creating a fantastic team environment, and a unit that gelled well on and off the field. The idea was to build this team by maintaining consistency, so instead of frequent chop and change, we decided to back all our players even if they’d had a couple of bad games, and the results were there to see.”

One of the big talking points for Delhi Capitals ahead of the 2020 season was the inclusion of senior cricketers like 'king of spin' Ravichandran Ashwin and 'experienced batter' Ajinkya Rahane, into the mix, a decision Jindal believes will add tremendous firepower to the side.

“I believe Delhi Capitals has all the ingredients of becoming the IPL’s most successful franchise. And the addition of Rahane and Ashwin makes us an even more potent side. It gives the captain and coach options for all possible situations. Rahane is willing to bat at any position he’s needed in, while Ashwin’s bowling is well suited for the Kotla wicket. There’s no doubt DC is the team to beat, and we need to build on from last year’s success."