The eight teams bidding to win the IPL trophy will have to wait until April 15 at least to start their campaigns

The start of the Indian Premier League has been postponed until April 15 due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The tournament had been due to get underway on March 29 with a match between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India has decided to move the competition back as a precautionary measure in response to the pandemic.

"The BCCI is concerned and sensitive about all its stakeholders, and public health in general, and it is taking all necessary steps to ensure that, all people related to IPL including fans have a safe cricketing experience," the board said in a statement.

India's national team had started a three-match ODI series against South Africa, the first game of which was washed out due by rain in Dharamsala on Thursday, but on Friday the BCCI confirmed that the remaining two matches - at Lucknow and Kolkata - would be postponed.

The one-day international between Australia and New Zealand was played behind closed doors due to coronavirus

Several large sporting events will not take place as a result of the outbreak, with golf's Players Championship and the first Formula 1 Grand Prix of the season being cancelled.

England's two-Test series in Sri Lanka, which was due to begin on Thursday, has been postponed with the England and Wales Cricket Board saying: "At this time, the physical and mental wellbeing of our players and support teams is paramount.

"We will now look to bring them home to their families as soon as possible. These are completely unprecedented times, and decisions like this go beyond cricket."

The first one-day international between Australia and New Zealand has taken place with the hosts running out victors by 71 runs but the match, like the remaining two in the series, was played behind closed doors.