The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently issued the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The 13th season of the IPL will be held in the UAE this year pertaining to the rising COVID-19 cases in India.
As per the SOPs issued by the BCCI, the team will use empty stands as an extended dressing room for outdoor strategy meetings in order to adhere to the social distancing rule. This year there will be no toss mascot which means BCCI will lose out on another source of earning sponsorship money. Although the families of the players and support staff will accompany them, they will not be permitted to travel on the team bus and will not be allowed to leave the bio bubble.
According to the SOP that was handed over to the franchises and is in possession of PTI, the teams would be encouraged to use the stands for the purpose of the dressing room which helps to maintain social distance. There would then be more vacant space at the stadium and thus the dressing room does not have to remain within the traditional area.
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In addition, the teams were asked to use electronic team sheets, rather than captains carrying hard copies of their playing XI list. The SOP also states that franchises might install “Scalene Hypercharge Corona Canon (Shycocan), a device that has the ability to neutralise 99.9 percent of the coronavirus that might be floating in the air in closed spaces.”
The SOP also suggests that the teams’ physios and masseurs will have to wear PPE kits if they need to get in contact with the player. Players and officials at the match were specifically instructed to return to their hotel and have a shower after match days unlike usual times.
Other SOPs suggestions are according to the guidelines issued by the ICC a few weeks back.