Reports | Franchises begin Quarantine programme as preparation kicks off for IPL

Even though the home and foreign ministry are yet to send their formal approval, the BCCI have started their preparation in what is going to be a different kind of IPL this time. With players having to obtain two Covid-19 negative reports before travelling, ESPNCricinfo reported that a few IPL franchises had an internal meeting to discuss the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and even started quarantining their Indian players to make the process faster.

As per the report, Mumbai Indians have started to get their players in a hotel, with regular Covid-19 tests scheduled. Once the players complete their quarantine, they will be training at their facility in Navi Mumbai. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals have their plans in place to conduct Covid-19 over the next two weeks before the team leaves for Dubai. Another franchise, meanwhile, have asked their Indian players to home quarantine to keep the players away from any danger.

"Outdoor training is out of question still, we're being cautious and since everything is still very uncertain with regards to SOPs, we're awaiting a final confirmation. We have put forward our concerns with the IPL governing council, hopefully, everything will be clear this weekend so that we can start planning,” Cricinfo reported a franchise source as saying.

Interestingly, the promotional shoots are scheduled at ballrooms of a five-star hotel with social distancing norms being followed particularly. There is a cap of five crew members allowed at the location of the shoot with everyone wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to prevent any physical contact.