The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had its work cut out to host the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League. The 13th season of the IPL was hosted in UAE amid the Covid-19 crisis but the best T20 league in the world moved back to India in 2021. It is well known that the preparation for a single season of the IPL begins well in advance and the Indian board couldn’t have left any stone unturned in these testing times.
The going has been tough for the whole of India in the last three weeks as the country battles the second wave of Covid-19. In fact, there have been question marks raised whether the Indian board is right with its decision of continuing with the Indian Premier League.
The bubble life isn’t easy for the players as there is no room for complacency. A small mistake can have serious repercussions and everybody has to act responsibly.
Meanwhile, the BCCI has done a tremendous job in ensuring a safe bio bubble for the players. Earlier players like Axar Patel, Daniel Sams, Devdutt Padikkal were tested positive and it raised doubts over the smooth conduct of the IPL but the Indian board has been at the top of their toes.
The Indian board has ensured that the players were tested twice regularly after a couple of days. Moreover, no outside food was allowed for all the players, umpires, commentators and broadcasting staff. In fact, a total of 1200 people are involved in the bubble and the BCCI has a done a fine job in managing it with success so far.
And players like Nathan Coulter-Nile stated that he feels safe in the bio-bubble after his Australian teammates – Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa and Andrew Tye pulled out of the tournament. Moreover, as the matches are to be held in six different cities, BCCI has done a fabulous job in managing the travel of every team.
All the eight franchises have adhered to the strict SOPs they have been given by the Indian board and it has played a key role in the smooth conduct of the tournament so far.
Moreover, the BCCI has ensured all the foreign players that they will be able to travel safely back to their countries after the completion of the IPL.