BCCI confirmed that fans will be allowed in IPL 2021 in limited capacity.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Eoin Morgan and head coach Brendon McCullum have expressed their delight over the pleasant news that fans will return to stadiums for the second leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021), on Thursday (September 6).
The remainder of the IPL 2021 will be played across three venues – Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi, where a limited number of fans will be allowed to watch the matches, keeping in mind the COVID-19 protocols in the UAE. BCCI announced the same on Wednesday.
It will be for the first time when fans are allowed to enter the stadium since IPL 2019 owing to the COVID-19 situation with the IPL 14 resuming with the blockbuster clash between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) on Sunday (September 19) in Dubai.
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Reacting to the news, Morgan said as quoted by the KKR website: “Incredibly excited to have fans back at the IPL this year. It's been too long to hear that roar of the KKR fans at Eden Gardens. Unfortunately, it's not at home but I cannot wait to hear it here in the UAE.”
Meanwhile, the KKR head coach McCullum also welcomed the return of fans for the second phase of the IPL 2021, saying the presence of the fans will encourage his team to perform at their best in the UAE.
According to the KKR website, McCullum said, “That's actually fantastic. We were talking about it whether the fans would be back. Now that we know they're going to be, it's fantastic. We can certainly use their support. We have got a big task in front of us and we will certainly rally when we get the support of our fans. So, hopefully, we get plenty of it in the UAE.”
On the other hand, Rahul Tripathi was also excited to see fans coming in for IPL 14 matches for the first time since the 2019 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the UAE.
Tripathi said, “We have missed them (fans) a lot during this period. It's always fun when somebody is there in the stands to cheer for you. I must say welcome back to the fans.”
Noteworthy, KKR will resume its IPL 2021 campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Abu Dhabi on September 20.
(With PTI Inputs)