Picture Credit: IPL/BCCI
Delhi Capitals will be leaving for the United Arab Emirates, which is the host for the second half of IPL 2021, on Saturday. While Shreyas Iyer is already in the Middle East nation with his fitness coach, the remainder of the squad will continue to join the capitals after finishing their international commitments.
It is being reported that the team will leave Delhi with their domestic players who are already placed in quarantine in the Indian capital.
A week-long quarantine in UAE
"Delhi Capitals will leave on Saturday early morning to UAE for IPL 2021. The team will leave from Delhi with domestic players and officials. Domestic players are already in quarantine in the national capital and they will be quarantined in UAE for a week. Post quarantine their camp will be starting," a DC official told ANI.
"Shreyas Iyer is already in UAE with a fitness coach and the rest of the players from India, South Africa and England will join the team after their international assignments are over. The captain issue is still undecided, either it will be Pant or Iyer, the team management has not yet decided on this," the official added.
MI, CSK already in UAE
Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings have already reached UAE to begin their preparations for IPL 2021. The 14th season of the tournament, which was suspended in May owing to the COVID-19 crisis, is set to resume on September 19 with these two sides taking on each other at Dubai.
The action will then shift to Abu Dhabi where Kolkata Knight Riders will meet Royal Challengers Bangalore. Meanwhile, Sharjah will host its first game on September 24, with RCB taking on CSK. Overall, 13 matches are slated in Dubai, 10 in Sharjah and 8 in Abu Dhabi.
Bubble Integrity Officers to manage contact tracing in case a player tests COVID-19 positive
In a big update, the BCCI has opted to not go ahead with the contact tracing devices for the UAE leg of IPL 2021. The Indian board said that it will be the Bubble Integrity Officers who will be responsible for tracing contact in case a player tests positive for Coronavirus.