While there was a surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, breaching the bio-bubble and players getting affected was the last straw that made the BCCI and IPL governing council suspend the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) indefinitely.

As the number of cases is increasing in the country, a lot of countries have imposed travel bans as well as locked their borders. Australia is one of them as they have shut down all the flights flying from India.

Due to this, IPL’s Australian contingent which comprises players, support staff, and commentators, are stuck in the country and are unable to reach home. But it is learnt that the Aussies are expected to head to the Maldives before taking a connecting flight for home.

IPL 2021: Won't seek exemptions for Australian players' return - CA and ACA as IPL gets postponed

“A mass exodus of Australian players, coaches, and support staff to the Maldives is the expected remedy to a dilemma created by the postponement of the 2021 IPL and the current closure of the Australian border to citizens currently in India during its rampant COVID-19 outbreak,” ESPNcricinfo reported.

“There are close to 40 Australians in the IPL bubble comprising players, coaching staff, and commentators. The likes of Pat Cummins, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Ricky Ponting, Simon Katich, and company are expected to join commentator Michael Slater, who had already headed to the Maldives as a temporary post,” it added.

The Australians will have to go into 14-day quarantine even after taking the connecting flight home but they are hopeful that things get better when it all reopens on May 15.

(With PTI inputs)