With the IPL 2020 being shifted to UAE and all the eight franchises being instructed to create a bio-secure bubble for their players, arranging appropriate accommodation and training facilities have now become a challenge for the franchises.
Different franchises are arranging different accommodations for their players keeping in mind the duration of the tournament and the protocols that have been set.
Let’s talk about the arrangements that the IPL franchises are initiating at this point in time –
Accommodation
A few franchises are not convinced that it’s ideal for their cricketers to stay in a confined space for a long period of time. So, they are looking for beachfront properties where the players can go out and relax a little bit without breaching the protocols.
It’s been reported that Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians are already in talks to book the beachfront properties in UAE. However, three-time Champions Chennai Super Kings don’t seem to have any issues about staying in the confined space of a hotel as they have booked a five-star hotel in Dubai.
Base
The matches of the IPL will take place in Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi which are not too far away from each other. Even if a team is based in Sharjah, it can easily go to Dubai on the match day or a team based in Dubai can travel to Abu Dhabi. It’s a 90-minute drive. So, the teams won’t be changing their bases at different stages of the tournament.
A few teams have already decided to base themselves in Abu Dhabi, while CSK has decided to base themselves in Dubai because they want to use ICC’s cricket academy as their training ground.
Testing
Although the tournament is five weeks away, the franchises have already started the testing process. The players will have to be tested a number of times before their entry into the bio-secure bubble.
Right now, a couple of franchises are quarantining their players in a hotel in India and the players are being quarantined after testing negative. Once all the players are quarantined in India with a negative test report, they will then be tested again before taking a chartered flight to UAE.
The cricketers will then have to be tested for the third time on their arrival to UAE. After testing negative, they will quarantine at their accommodation in UAE for seven more days before they undergo the fourth test. The fourth negative test report will allow the cricketers to start training for the IPL.
