IPL 2020: Franchises Ask Players To Assemble Before UAE Departure For Getting Quarantine, Testing Procedures Underway

As per a report in ESPNCricinfo, the franchises had a internal meeting around two days back to discuss their own medical and safety protocols for the upcoming season.

IPL Trophy (BCCI Twitter Handle)

All eight Indian Premier League franchises are in busy mode to get their players and support staff assembled at a common venue of their liking and have their Covid-19 testing and quarantine protocols in place as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has set August 20 as the date post which the Indian Premier League team can have their squads fly out from India to the UAE ahead of the Season 13.. As per a report in ESPNCricinfo, the franchises had a internal meeting around two days back to discuss their own medical and safety protocols for the upcoming season. As per the guidelines laid down by the BCCI over the SOP to be followed ahead of the IPL, the process of quarantining the players has commenced with with Mumbai Indians (MI) deciding to lodge their players in a hotel. Another franchise, meanwhile, has asked the players to do home quarantine before the testing phase begins. Defending IPL champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who wanted to touch down at UAE by the 2nd week of August, have given a direction of sorts to their players and support staff to arrive in Chennai after the final SOP is released. Kings XI Punjab are pretty much on the same lines as Chennai Super Kings as they too are planning on assembling their Indian squad first. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are looking at Abu Dhabi as their camp and want to reach there by August 21 or 22. As per the SOPs issued by the BCCI to the eight IPL franchises, the players are supposed to undergo a week-long quarantine, as well as four separate COVID-19 tests before they training camps in UAE, can begin. Though the franchises have asked for a reduction in the length of quarantine, the BCCI is yet to respond. "Outdoor training is out of question still, we're being cautious and since everything is still very uncertain with regards to SOPs, we're awaiting final confirmation," a franchise source said. "We have put forward our concerns with the IPL governing council, hopefully, everything will be clear this weekend so that we can start planning."