Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League had to be postponed amid COVID-19 cases in team camps. However, the second leg of IPL is all set to begin in September in the UAE. It will be the third time that the Indian T20 league is being organized in the UAE. The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) is adopting all measures to safely conduct the second phase of the tournament and doesn't want to repeat the mistakes made during the first leg. Hence, the board has laid down fresh protocols ahead of the resumption to avoid any COVID burst in any of the bubbles.
The BCCI has issued a 46 page health advisory for the franchises and stakeholders that has the set of rules mentioned. Among all those rules, one rule also talks about disciplinary action against the bio-bubble breach. The rule applies to everyone, from the families and franchises, traveling to the UAE. The new protocol states that disciplinary action will be taken against family and franchise members if a breach in bio-bubble is reported at any point in time.
“Breach of any biosecurity environment protocols by franchisee members or their families will be subject to disciplinary action by the BCCI,” a BCCI official was quoted by Times Now.
The second leg starts with the El-Clasico of IPL
After all the speculations and excitement, the second phase of IPL will kick off from September 19. To add to the excitement of fans, the first match will be played between the arch rivals Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. This will be their second match of the league stage. In the first match (played during the first leg), Kieron Pollard did wonders with the bat as he amassed 87* off 34 balls including eight monstrous sixes. The MS Dhoni-led CSK is well known for their tactical gameplay, and they would want to stick to their strength when they meet on September 19.
The second match will be played between the Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore. The former has not lived up to the expectations while RCB has won five games, including a win against KKR, of the seven games they have played. As of now, Delhi Capitals, CSK and RCB are sitting at the top three places of the points table.