According to the BCCI’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the IPL 2020 recommends that teams can use “empty stands” as extended dressing rooms for outdoor strategy meetings as the social distancing can be maintained. The IPL is scheduled to commence on September 19 in the UAE, will miss toss mascot this year and it will be another loss for the BCCI. While players and support staff’s families can join them, but they won’t be allowed with the team on the team bus and can’t leave the bio bubble.

As per the reports of the PTI, the SOPs read: “The Bio-Secure Environment means only essential staff will be on-site and no members of the public will be allowed. Venue Cricket Operation teams should consider using appropriate areas beyond the normal dressing room.”

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For the medical team, they will require to wear PPE kits before having any physical contact with the player. Players and match officials will also be required to go back to their hotel and have a shower after match days, unlike normal times. Eight different hotels for the eight participating teams, two mandatory negative COVID-19 tests before reaching the UAE, and punishment for any breach of the bio-secure protocol are part of the BCCI’s SOP.

The SOP states, “All Indian players and team support staff must undergo two COVID-19 PCR tests, 24 hours apart, in the week before assembling in the franchises’ city of choice. This will help reduce the risk of cross-infection within the group before flying to the UAE”. “Breach of any Bio-Secure Environment protocols by players and team support staff will be punishable under the IPL Code of Conduct Rules”.

Anyone testing positive for COVID-19 will have to go through a 14-day period of quarantine, the individual will have to undergo two COVID-19 tests, 24 hours apart. “…if both test reports are negative, he/she may be allowed to fly out to the UAE”.

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The rule will apply to all the overseas players and team support staff as well. As IPL 2020 SOP stated, “After arrival in UAE, there will be tests on Day 1, 3 and 6 with testing every fifth day throughout the tournament. Team members must be allotted rooms in a separate wing of the hotel that has a separate centralised air conditioning (AC) unit than the rest of the hotel.”