The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to immediately remove a player from the tournament and fine teams a hefty sum of INR 1 crore if they happen to breach the bio-security bubble and regulations put in place for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 in UAE.
Given the tournament is being held in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah amid a raging COVID-19 pandemic, the board and IPL authorities wish to take no chance on the safety aspect.
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"In a notification sent to all the eight participating franchises by the BCCI, a player will have to undergo a six-day quarantine for an 'unauthorised departure' from the bubble," states a report by PTI.
"It will be a one-match suspension if it is a second offence and a third violation will lead to his removal from the tournament with no replacement to be provided."
"The players could be fined as much 3000 AED (60,000 INR approx) for not completing their daily health passport, not wearing GPS tracker and missing a scheduled COVID-19 test."
The rule applies to the family members and team officials as well. All touring cricketers and support staff are being tested every fifth day of the tournament. The team officials are also being aware of the need to be vigilant at all times.
The report states, "If a franchise allows 'any person into the bubble to interact with players/support staff', it will have to pay a fine of Rs 1 core at the first offence, a point will be deducted at the second offence and two points (equivalent to one win) for the third violation."
The BCCI will also look to reschedule the match if in a rare but possible scenario a team is unable to field an XI with less than 12 players available. If that isn't feasible, the game will be considered lost.
Repeated violations of the health protocols will make that team liable for BCCI inquiry.
Thankfully, since the recovery of 2 Chennai Super Kings (CSK) players and their 12 support staff personnel, there has been no new positive case across teams.
Originating in the Chinese city of Wuhan last December, the viral outbreak has claimed over a million lives globally.
