IPL 2020: KKR and MI upset; have to serve additional 7 days quarantine period

All the franchises have already landed in UAE a few days back and are undergoing a mandatory quarantine period as per BCCI’s safety protocols. Having to bear long quarantine periods and rounds of testing, here is one more sad news for Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders. As per rules prevailing in the Abu Dhabi city of UAE, they need to undergo an additional seven-day quarantine period before entering the IPL’s security bubble.

KKR and MI were the teams that reached the Gulf country earliest to kick start their preparations. KKR touched its base in UAE on 20th August, while MI reached Abu Dhabi on August 21. The rest of the IPL franchises which are done with their quarantine period in Dubai are gearing up to begin their outdoor training in the approaching days.

MI and KKR will remain locked inside hotel rooms owing to rules prevalent in Abu Dhabi that restricts any movement outside until a 14-day quarantine period is served. This news has further delayed their camps and every other practice to be done for the IPL 2020. It hasn’t gone well with MI, and KKR’s squad and support staff have asked BCCI to intervene in the matter.

An anonymous staff official of MI said as quoted by Inside Sport, “We have requested BCCI to intervene. We were told we have to follow 7 days quarantine period, but now it has come to our knowledge that as per the local norms we will be in 14 days quarantine.”

IPL might be played in two phases

The official schedule of the much-awaited Indian Premier League 2020 is supposed to be on the table by the end of the week. There is also speculation that the whole league will be divided into two phases in order to minimize travel across cities in UAE. The 56 league matches of the tournament are expected to get divided like this.

1st Phase: Abu Dhabi – 21 matches

2nd Phase: Dubai – 21 matches

3rd Phase: Sharjah – 14 matches

The teams might return to Dubai for playoffs. However, there is no clarity on the same as of now. IPL GC Chairman Brijesh Patel and Hemang Amin are set to meet some UAE officials before announcing the final schedule.