With the COVID-19 pandemic now on decline, the Indian Premier League (IPL) will go back to the home-and-away format from this season.
However, the IPL has decided to continue their 2022 policy of asking players to go through a week-long isolation period in case of positive COVID-19 test results, ESPNCricinfo reported on Saturday (March 18).
While the bio-secure bubbles won’t be put in place this season, the IPL has said that it wants to stay "careful" and COVID-19 positive players won’t be permitted to take part in any training or matches till they produce a negative result, which can be taken on the fifth day of recovery at the earliest.
"While there has been a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases in India we still have to be careful of the emerging strains which are becoming a concern at regular intervals," the IPL's medical guidelines, which were distributed to franchises this week, say.
"Positive cases must be isolated for maximum of seven days. Positive cases will not be allowed to participate in any match or any form of activity/event during the period of isolation."
"From day five, they can undergo a RT-PCR, provided they must be must be asymptomatic without any medication for 24 hours. Once the first result is negative the 2nd test must be done 24 hours apart. Only after obtaining two negative RT-PCR tests 24 hours apart i.e. day five and day six, can they rejoin the group," concluded the guidelines.
IPL has also mentioned that the testing will be performed on those who are showing signs of COVID-19, not on asymptomatic ones. Any player who tests positive even after day seven will have to come up with two negative COVID-19 tests 12 hours apart before rejoining the squad.
Notably, restrictions related to COVID-19 are slowly being relaxed in international cricket. Last year, Australia all-rounder Tahlia McGrath featured in the Commonwealth Games final against India despite testing positive for the virus. During the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, Australia wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade, who was diagnosed COVID positive, participated in his side's match against England, which got abandoned due to rain.
The 2023 edition of Indian Premier League is slated to get underway on March 31, with the blockbuster clash between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings.
(ESPNCricinfo Inputs)
