Umpire Nitin Menon, who is in ICC's Elite Panel, has withdrawn from the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League as coronavirus continues to rage in the country. A BCCI official said Menon's family has coronavirus cases and that is the reason behind the pull out. "Nitin's mother and wife have tested positive for coronavirus and that is why he had to pull out. We hope they have a speedy recovery and we are always with him for any help that is needed. The backups that we have will be used in the games that were assigned to him," the official said.
Menon included in the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires for the season 2020-21 following the annual review and selection process conducted by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in June 2020. He was earlier part of the ICC International Panel of Umpires.
Australian cricketers Andrew Tye, Kane Richardson, and Adam Zampa have pulled out of the ongoing tournament while Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has taken a break from the 2021 season as he wants to extend support to his family members who are currently battling coronavirus. The COVID-19 pandemic has gripped India and the country has been reporting more than 3,00,000 new cases every day.
Meanwhile, IPL COO Hemang Amin has assured all players and support staff that the BCCI will ensure their smooth return at the end of the league. In a letter to the players and support staff, accessed by ANI, Hemang addressed the apprehension and concerns of the cricketers. He said that the tournament isn't over for the BCCI till every player reaches home safely. He also pointed that the bio-bubbles further strengthened with an eye on the coronavirus situation.