The fifth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is finally about to get underway after months of delay due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The tournament, which was originally set to be conducted in March, will now take place from September 19th in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and will eventually conclude on November 10th.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, this year's IPL will be different from the ones which took place over the years in front of the packed stadiums in India.
For the first time, the full tournament will be organized in the UAE but the matches will take place behind the closed doors.
We are bringing you a list of protocols which have been agreed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the IPL Governing Council for the much-awaited 13th edition of the cash-rich T20 league.
One team per hotel rule:
As per the BCCI's guidelines, all teams will stay in a separate hotel in their efforts to control the risk of a virus outbreak. It is believed that no player will be allowed to leave the biosecure bubble during the length of the competition. However, it is unclear whether the players will be allowed to keep their family members with them in the biosecure bubble.
Extreme testing protocols:
After the emergence of COVID-19, all sporting authorities have adopted a method of rapid and repetitive testing.
The IPL Governing Council has followed the same pattern where all members will have to go