IPL 2020: Consequences of breaching 'bio-secure bubble' during the tournament explained

The 13th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to take place under a highly planned bio-secure bubble from September 19 to November 10. The IPL governing council has made it clear time and again that willingly breaching the safety bubble will result in dire consequences as that action can put the entire league at a risk.

Amid the huge spike in coronavirus cases in India, which has already crossed the 33-lakh mark, the tournament will take place in the UAE with strict rules in place. The IPL bio-secure bubble has been set up by a UK-based company Restrata. It has prepared the guidelines for the safety bubble, keeping in mind the standards of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

International cricket resumed in England after a halt of five long months with the series against the West Indies. The ECB has successfully hosted the ODI series against Ireland and Test series against the Caribbeans and Pakistan with a new bio-secure bubble.

Once a player enters the bio-secure bubble, he will be prohibited from moving outdoors and won’t be allowed to meet their friends and visitors. However, BCCI has allowed families to travel UAE along with players, given that they also remain confined within boundaries of the bio-secure bubble.

Players asked to respect laid boundaries during the IPL

If a player is found guilty of breaching the bio-secure bubble willingly, he will have to bear serious consequences, which includes a suspension from the next few matches. He might undergo a whole round of testing and isolation process once again.

The cricket boards around the world have been dealing with the idea of the bio-secure bubble very strictly. In the recent Test series against West Indies, England pacer Jofra Archer went home to get some essentials, after which he was ruled out of the second Test for breaching the norms. Later, Archer also gave a formal apology for his behaviour.

Any such conduct will not at all be entertained in the bio-secure bubble of IPL. Players have been warned again and again to respect the laid boundaries. In the latest development to keep an eye on social distancing, a Bluetooth band has to be worn by all the players, which will ring an alarm in case of breaching the social distance rule.