Chennai Super Kings pride on themselves being a close-knit unit. It has been seen a lot since its return from the two-year ban in 2018. Families of players and support staff are seen on the ground enjoying with their famous fathers after the matches.
Be it MS Dhoni overseeing a race between Shane Watson and Imran Tahir’s sons or Ziva Dhoni or Gracia Raina lighting up the mood in the camp, families of the players, and the support staff had been a constant presence in the CSK set-up.
However, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan has confirmed that the atmosphere will be a bit different this time around, as IPL 2020 will be played in the UAE entirely amidst a strict and bio-secure environment in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The IPL 2020 will be held from September 19 to November 10.
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The CSK CEO has confirmed that the families of players and the team support staff will not be accompanying the three-time champions for atleast the first part of the IPL 13.
“Families are not traveling with the team (to UAE) for the first part of the tour. We will decide (whether they can accompany players and team support staff later) later depending on how things work out there,” Kasi Viswanathan told Indiatoday.in.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), in its 16-page Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) document, said families can accompany players and the team support staff in the UAE. However, it was mentioned that family members need to undergo most of the bio-secure environment protocols.
These bio-secure protocols include Covid-19 tests, social distancing with players, other families, and a ban on meeting anyone outside the biosecure bubble. Also sharing of food or drinks during the tournament was prohibited for the families.
Kasi Viswanathan also said that the CSK social media and web teams will make sure CSK followers will engage with the team virtually during IPL 2020. “We are not taking any fans, in this bio-bubble environment, we have no plans. Our social media and web teams will take care of the fans,” Viswanathan said.
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He was also confident of the CSK team adapting to the conditions in UAE and pointed out that the team won the 2018 IPL despite playing only one of their 7 games at Chepauk.
“We based our picking of teams on Chennai but we were forced to go to Pune (in 2018). Even though there was a difference in conditions, we won that year. See we have to adjust to whatever conditions the pitches are, the team, I believe, is suited to all conditions,” Viswanathan said.
CSK's local players and support staff are expected to arrive in Chennai on August 14 and will fly out of the city to the UAE on August 21.
