BCCI in talks with Abu Dhabi officials to ease bio bubble rules for IPL 2021

The first leg of IPL 2021 had to be halted midway after rapid COVID-19 spread started taking place across the camps. Firstly, one or two players returned positive results but moving ahead, cases started popping up from almost every team. However, after the tournament got cancelled, BCCI got back to looking up for windows to schedule the 2^nd leg soon. After few days, UAE was finalized as the venue for the second half of the Indian league.

Having said that, there are some isolation issues that might hinder the schedule of IPL 2021. It has been reported that BCCI is closely working with authorities of Abu Dhabi, which would be one of the venues in the UAE. Abu Dhabi’s latest quarantine rules state that players coming from green countries wouldn’t have to quarantine on their arrival to the Gulf nation.

It has to be noted that India, which had a deadly second wave of COVID-19, doesn’t fall on the green list and neither does the UK. Only Australia and New Zealand are on the green list among major cricket-playing nations.  Abu Dhabi government has stated that players from non-green countries will have to observe five-day quarantine if fully vaccinated and 10-day quarantine in case of no vaccination, as quoted by Cricbuzz.

BCCI trying to ease out the process of bio-bubble for players

Currently, BCCI is in talks with Emirates Cricket Board to ease out the bio rules as players travelling from the UK will not have the required time to complete their quarantine. Indian players will be in the UK as they are scheduled to play the five-match Test series from August 4, 2021. BCCI is requesting the authorities for bio bubble to bio bubble direct transfer. It will be a thing to see if the smooth transfer can take place.

After the bio rules get sorted, the Indian cricket board will be in the condition to announce the full-fledged schedule of the second phase of IPL 2021. However, it is expected to start somewhere around 19-20 September, as of now. Many overseas players have already pulled out of the second phase.