RCB to fly out in last week of August

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) players are set to assemble in Bengaluru for hotel quarantine this week before they travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Franchises have begun to follow the rules laid out by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the cash-rich T20 tournament, which will be held in a bio-secure environment amid the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic.

While defending champions Mumbai Indians have put the team in hotel quarantine in Mumbai, three-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are mulling to hold a short training camp in Chennai before leaving for the UAE.

Sanjeev Churiwala, chairman of RCB, said the three-time finalists are following the protocols as required by the IPL. “Right now we have advised home quarantine for the players. We will soon arrange for hotel quarantine for players and support staff. We would most likely be flying out our players in the last week of August,” Churiwala told DH on Sunday.

It is learnt that the hotel quarantine will begin from August 14 in the absence of the foreign players, who will reach UAE directly from their respective countries. It remains to be seen if RCB will hold a training camp at its home venue, the Chinnaswamy stadium. The CSK have reportedly gained permission from the Tamil Nadu government to conduct a five-day camp.

According to BCCI’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), it’s compulsory for players and the support staff to undergo five coronavirus PCR tests before entering the bio-bubble in UAE. “We have conducted one round of Covid tests for all our players. Everything is fine. The results are all negative,” Churiwala said.

Churiwala said RCB has discussed with players the importance of not breaching the bio-bubble and the need to follow all safety measures. “All the players have been trained on the SOP, on the procedures to be followed in the bio-bubble. RCB will 100 per cent abide by the guidelines of the BCCI,” he said.

With the BCCI having received an ‘in-principle’ permission from the Indian government, RCB players are looking forward to the league, said Churiwala. “We are waiting for a formal letter from the government but I believe it will be a smooth process. Our team is eager to land up in the Middle East. Thanks to such a long break, no player is in form, technically. Players want to get cracking,” he said.