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Picture Credit: Twitter/BCCI

With the Indian Premier League officially suspended owing to the rise in COVID-19 cases in the bio-bubble, the focus now shifts to the forthcoming World Test Championship. With the WTC final all set to take place in the month of June, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is all set finalising the squad and looking into the logistics amid the second wave of Coronavirus.

India is set to take on Kane Williamson-led New Zealand in the WTC final in June 2021. The final is scheduled to take place in Southampton. According to reports and data available, Southampton has comparatively fewer cases and the board along with other officiating members is planning to get the Indian contingent safely.

BCCI to plan one week of hard quarantine for Indian players before leaving India

The Board of Control for Cricket In India (BCCI) is planning to have a strict quarantine for the Indian players before they leave the home country to fly to the UK. “The idea is to get the players to quarantine in India itself. The team anyway is likely to travel in charter flights since there are travel restrictions in the UK,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying to TOI.

However, the BCCI has asked the players to get the first dose of COVID-19 vaccination, preferably Covidshield. Since the second dose needs to be taken in a gap of 45 days, the board is ready to get the dose taken in the UK.

“It is advised that they take Covidshield in India because it is based on AstraZeneca vaccine, a UK product. They may get the second shot in UK,” said a BCCI official.

The World Test Championship final is slated to take place in Southampton from June 18 to June 22.