The year 2025, has started off with very worrisome news. Just when we thought that the worst of COVID-19 pandemic was over, a new virus from China emerged that has already claimed the lives of countless souls in China. The cases of Human metapneumovirus also referred to as HMPV, were first reported in China last year in December.

It is believed that the Covid-like virus has triggered a state of panic in China. Hospitals have been overwhelmed by a large influx of patients and reports have hinted that many people have also succumbed to this infectious virus with the crematories fast running out of space. Some even speculate that the situation in China has turned so dire that the authorities have enforced lockdowns in certain areas to contain the spread of the disease. However, there is currently no evidence to back such claims but such disturbing news is enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.

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Will IPL 2025 suffer due to HMPV?

Ever since India reported its first case of HMPV in Bengaluru on January 6, 2025, the authorities have gone on full alert. Although the health institutions insist that the situation at present appears to be under control, measures are being taken by them to actively monitor the advancement of this disease. This shocking development rewinds the clock to 2020 when India was grappling with an unprecedented wave of COVID-19. Five years on, the scares of the Covid outbreak are still fresh in the minds and memories of many people today.

India was among the worst-affected nations from Covid. From cricket to the Indian economy, the disease heavily impacted all spheres of life. HMPV exhibits similar attributes to COVID-19 and a repeat of the 2020 pandemic could surely take the upcoming IPL season out of action. At the time of the first Covid wave, the entire world went into a state of lockdown. This had negative consequences on IPL too and the entire 2020 edition had to be hosted outside of India during the month of September and October when the virus subsided globally. 

However, just before the second wave struck us in 2021, the BCCI made an attempt to host the IPL in India with limited audience capacity. But as soon as the virus escalated, the authorities were left with no option but to terminate the tournament mid-way as many cricketers started contracting the infectious disease. 

Following the emergence of the first HMPV case in India, the health authorities along with the Indian government are keeping a close eye on this evolving situation. The government assures the citizens not to hit the panic button yet as the disease is in its infancy stage and can be contained swiftly by introducing preventive measures in place. As far as IPL's fate is concerned, there haven't been any changes or deviations from the original schedule and the entire tournament is set to take place in India starting tentatively on March 13, 2025. However, a rapid surge of this disease may compel the authorities to either shift the entire tournament to UAE or temporarily suspend it until further notice.

More about the HMPV virus

HMPV was first recognized in 2001 and is classified within the Pneumoviridae family, which is closely associated with the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). This virus generally leads to mild upper respiratory symptoms, including cough, nasal discharge, and throat discomfort. The virus has been closely linked to a respiratory illness with symptoms similar to a flu just like COVID-19.  China has downplayed the outbreak of HMPV despite numerous social media posts claiming its health system to be overwhelmed due to this disease.