New Delhi:
Rajasthan Royals bowler Jaydev Unadkat will donate 10% of his salary from the Indian Premier League (IPL) to the country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic but believes the tournament is bringing “much-needed” relief to a nation in distress. India posted a record daily rise of 401,993 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, while the country’s death toll reached 211,853.
The Indian cricket board has faced fierce social media criticism for hosting the tournament in the midst of a national crisis, but has said the IPL will continue as scheduled with the final in Ahmedabad on May 30. Unadkat pledged part of his salary from the IPL which, he said, was offering relief to a nation in distress.
“I am not saying it is right or wrong to play cricket at the moment…” the 29-year-old said in a video message on Friday. “All I feel is that this game brings a much-needed distraction in these uncertain times for a lot of people I know, and it brings joy to many as well.”
Delhi Capitals opener Shikhar Dhawan said he would donate two million Indian rupees ($27,000), plus any money from individual performance awards, to a fundraising campaign. “We are in unprecedented times right now, and it is the need of the hour that we do everything possible to help each other out,” Dhawan said in a tweet.
Batting great Sachin Tendulkar donated 10 million rupees to the same campaign on Thursday to help procure oxygen concentrators. Kolkata Knight Riders player and Australia speedster Pat Cummins donated $50,000 to an Indian coronavirus relief fund, while Punjab Kings’ West Indian batsman Nicholas Pooran also promised “financial assistance to this dire situation” in India.
($1 = 74.07 Indian rupees)
