IPL 2021: Players coming from UK will undergo six-day quarantine
The Indian cricket team players set to arrive in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the second phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 season will need to undergo a six-day quarantine period. The BCCI has informed all franchises that the players coming from UK will need to follow the protocol before joining the existing team bubbles. Here's more.
Franchise official confirms the information meted out by the BCCI
Speaking to ANI, a franchise official said about BCCI's information regarding players arriving from the UK. "The BCCI has informed us that every player coming in from the UK to UAE will have to undergo six days of quarantine before they can join the team bubbles. Obviously, the bubble-to-bubble transfer from the UK to UAE no longer stands keeping in mind the current scenario."
Franchises seek transfer of players from UK via charter planes
The IPL franchises are seeking to get charter planes for the transfer of players from the UK. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) stated that they have arranged a flight for skipper Virat Kohli and pacer Mohammed Siraj. They will move from UK to Dubai on Saturday. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are also hoping to get their players as quickly as possible from the UK.
How did this situation arise?
Team India was supposed to play the fifth and final Test against England in Manchester, starting September 10. The match was canceled after the Indian players had expressed health concerns following assistant physiotherapist Yogesh Parmar testing COVID-19 positive on Thursday. The ECB issued a statement saying due to fears of further increase in number of COVID-19 cases, India were unable to field a team.
Team India players had expressed concern
According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, it was stated that more than one Team India player had expressed concern about taking the field. They even wrote a letter to BCCI discussing the health issues due to a recent COVID-19 case in the Indian camp. The two boards held intense discussions before going ahead with canceling the Test match.
IPL set to resume from September 19 onwards
The IPL was earlier suspended by the BCCI after several players tested positive for the coronavirus. The rest of the tournament was then shifted to the UAE. The middle east nation had held the IPL behind closed doors in 2020. Champions Mumbai Indians will take on CSK on September 19 in Dubai. KKR will take on the RCB next in Abu Dhabi.
