For the second year in succession, the Indian cricket team might have to spend half a year in respective bio-bubbles to complete their national and Indian Premier League commitments. After about a week of speculation, it was confirmed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India at the Special General Meeting (SGM) earlier on Saturday, May 29, that the remaining 31 games of the 14th season of IPL will resume in the September-October window after the completion of India’s Test series against England.
The Indian Test squad which will feature in the upcoming World Test Championship final against New Zealand and the five-match Test series against England are already quarantining themselves in Mumbai and will leave for England on June 2. They will undergo hard quarantine for three days before starting to practise under strict bio-bubble protocols.
The Test series in England will kick off from August 4 with the final Test slated to commence from September 10. With several reports stating that IPL to resume on 19th September, the Indian players who will be in England will have to shift bubbles to play in the UAE.
Meanwhile, a limited-overs squad will be visiting Sri Lanka for a six-match limited over series in July. With the UAE leg of IPL slated to begin in September, the limited-overs players might get a few days off before joining the rest of the group in UAE. Meanwhile, Jay Shah confirmed that UAE will be the destination citing the monsoon season in India in September-October.
"The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday announced to complete the remaining matches of VIVO Indian Premier League 2021 season in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E) considering the monsoon season in India in the months of September-October this year,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah had said in the meeting.
“The decision was taken at a Special General Meeting (SGM) held virtually, where members unanimously agreed to resume IPL. The BCCI SGM further authorised the Office Bearers to seek an extension of time from the ICC to take an appropriate call on the hosting of ICC T20 World Cup 2021,” he added.
If the IPL ends by 10th October, the players will get just a week’s time before the T20 World Cup. The venue hasn’t been finalised yet but the BCCI has requested ICC to give them some more time before a final decision is made. Originally, ICC was supposed to take a decision on June 1, in their own meeting.
With the COVID cases in India on the decline, it remains to be seen whether ICC gives the green signal to India to host the tournament especially given a third wave warning doing the rounds. It effectively means that the whole Indian contingent will be under strict bio-bubble protocols for six months between July-November.