After they were forced to suspend the IPL midway, BCCI will now leave no stone unturned in ensuring the safety of all the players. The board will send its medical team to perform RT-PCR tests at the doorstep of each Indian player who has been included in the squad, which will travel to England for the World Test Championship final and 5 tests against.
The BCCI still awaits a formal health advisory from the UK government via the International Cricket Council. Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure, the board has decided that it will enforce two-week quarantine for the whole contingent. The quarantine will take place in Mumbai, but the local members of the contingent may be granted an exemption of a week on the strict condition that they stay inside their houses.
In a report, Cricbuzz claimed that the isolation period will start around May 18-19 so that the two-week self-isolation will be over by the time the team is scheduled to take off for the UK, most probably on June 2. Apart from the WTC final against New Zealand from June 18, India is scheduled to play five Tests against England in August-September.
Before the quarantine period begins, all players and their family members who are expected to fly with them will have to clear three RT-PCR tests. After that, they will undergo more rounds of testing during the isolation period. The 14th edition of the IPL was called off after a plethora of players in different franchises tested positive. The BCCI has decided to strictly implement the health guidelines this time around to avoid any such mishap.
Moreover, a lot of Indian players have received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccination. BCCI would look to arrange for the second doses of the vaccine in the UK as the team members will be out of India for at least three and a half months.
