The Maharashtra government on Monday (April 5) gave teams permission to train beyond 8 PM at the Wankhede Stadium and other venues used for practise in Mumbai for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 despite the ongoing night curfew in the city.
All eight IPL teams have been allowed to train and replicate match scenarios in the night hours in Mumbai. They will also be able to travel back to their respective team hotels from the stadiums despite the night curfew that has been imposed to tackle the ongoing pandemic.
The news is a major relief for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and various IPL franchises as there are ten matches scheduled to be held in Mumbai this season, with nine of those beginning at 7.30 pm.
In wake of the latest wave of the pandemic which has seen a genuine spike in COVID-19 positive cases in Maharashtra, the state government on Sunday (April 4) announced multiple restrictions, including night curfews and weekend lockdowns, to be able to curb the spread of the contagious virus.
The night curfew will be in place across the state from 8 pm to 7 am, alongside a weekend lockdown effective from 8 pm on Friday to 7 am on Monday. All the restrictions announced by the Maharashtra government came into effect from Tuesday (April 6).
Maharashtra government gives green signal to IPL 2021
While those restrictions will be in place for all ordinary citizens, IPL teams have received concessions on the matter as long as they adhere to the bio-bubble protocols and maintain social distancing.
According to India Today, Srirang Gholap, Under Secretary of the Disaster Management, Relief and Rehabilitation department, wrote in a letter issued to the BCCI,
Considering the match-timings, teams practising at the CCI and MCA are scheduled to practice in 2 sessions — from 4 pm to 6.30 pm and 7.30 pm to 10 pm.
Permission has been requested for teams and the IPL staff (to) be allowed to practice inside the grounds after 8 pm and they may be allowed free movement from the ground to their respective hotels after the said time.
Accordingly, permission is being hereby accorded for the said request subject to scrupulous adherence to the bio-bubble.
The IPL 2021 kickstarts on April 9 with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) taking on defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) in Chennai. Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Delhi and Bangalore will also be hosting IPL games this season, apart from Mumbai and Chennai.
