The IPL is coming back in a few days, and the fans couldn’t be happier. However, a lot has been changed this time around in terms of the rules and regulations of the game. After the tournament abruptly came to a halt in the middle due to the COVID scare, the authorities are ready to take no chances when it comes to safety conducting the matches this time. With that being said, here are the eight IPL highlights that you need to know about the new rules of the tournament.
1. Balls need to get replaced
Whenever a ball gets in the stands, it has to be changed. This ball will get thoroughly sanitized and kept in the BCCI ball library. The authorities decided to take this step as one of the precautionary measures because the tournament is going to have crowds in the stadium.
2. Complete ban on the use of saliva
There is a complete ban on the usage of saliva for making the ball shine. In situations like that, the umpires have the authority to penalize the team of five runs for multiple violations. This saliva ban was there during the last season of the tournament as well.
3. Strictly maintained bio-bubble
The measures of the bio-bubble stay applicable not only to all the IPL cricketers taking part in the matches but to their family members and team owners as well.
They are allowed to come out of the bubble only when it is extremely necessary. But before that, you need to acquire the formal permission from the Chief Medical Officer of the BCCI to come out of the bubble. The BCCI does not want to make any mistake regarding the newest addition to IPL champion list this year.
4. IPL highlights: The rules of the Green Zone
To ensure an absolute cut off from all the individuals working in the hotel, the cricketers will get their separate check-in counter at the place. It would make sure that they will stay separated from all outside elements through the transit from their rooms to the field.
5. Compulsory tests for COVID-19
Before getting into the bubble, everyone who is not getting in from some other bubble will need to pass through all the three RT-PCR tests for a week. They would get the chance to come into the bubble when they are tested negative in each one of them.
6. Integrity managers for the bio-bubble
To make sure that there is zero violation of the bubble in any possible way, the four-member team consisting of ‘Bubble Integrity Managers’ have been put together for each team. This committee is responsible to stay vigilant to make sure that the support staff and the players abide by the strict rules. Additionally, it will be this group’s responsibility to get the authorities informed about any and all breach of protocol.
7. One team to be present in one hotel
The BCCI officials have even taken the necessary steps to make sure that the cricketers do not mix with anyone else at the hotels.
The rules are that the franchises need to book a hotel completely for all the members. In case that isn’t possible, they should at least book the entire hotel wing for the squad. This part of the hotel needs to get sealed for anyone who is not the group’s part. The goal is to make sure there is minimum physical interaction between the teams and other people outside.
8. Compulsory period of quarantine
For each of the players flying down from the United Kingdom, which includes Indians, the rule is to pass through a compulsory quarantine period of six days.
Though Chesteshwar Pujara, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rohit Sharma have arrived in the UAE on Saturday morning, Mohammed Siraj and Virat Kohli of Royal Challengers will reach there on Sunday. The players from Punjab Kings and Chennai Super Kings are slated to take their flights from Manchester on Saturday. Any of these names might be in the IPL champion list for 2021.
The endnote
All the fans completely support these new changes because, at the end of the day, they want this second phase of IPL to go uninterrupted. So, let the games begin!
