IPL 2020: From Cheerleaders to WAGS, Things You Will Not See During T20 Tournament in UAE Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

With 42 days to go for the thirteenth season of the cash-rich Indian Premier League, things will not be the same during the extravagant T20 tournament amid the pandemic. From cheerleaders and WAGS – who added glamour to the event to an official mascot, a lot of things fans are used to seeing will be missed.

So what are the things that IPL 2020 will miss:

No team sheets and the official mascots walking out for the toss. Again this would be in place to ensure the safety of the player’s health.

In a bid to ensure social distancing, you could see players not sharing dressing rooms, instead, players and support staff could be in the stands. This is not confirmed, but this could very well be the case.

So if you think MS Dhoni is certain to play a certain match and you plan accordingly, you could be caught on the wrong foot if he has a temperature ahead of the match, he would have to self-isolate himself and a COVID-19 substitute could be used.

No press conferences and post-match presentations after the match which fans are used to seeing.

No one would be permitted of using other kits. For example, Ravindra Jadeja cannot put on Dhoni’s pads if he wishes to.

You could also miss Priety Zinta hugging players and Shah Rukh Khan dancing with his players. Such things will also be missed.

The crowds, which have been an integral part of the tournament will not be seen. It would be strange from a point of view of fans, but again this will be the new normal.

Cheerleaders, who add massive glamour to the matches and keep the fans entertained will not be present.

You will also not see Anushka Sharma or Sakshi Dhoni in the stands rooting for their husbands as WAGS will not be permitted to be with the players.

Players will not be allowed to interact with pitch curators or groundsmen to get inputs about the venue.