Players and staff of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are set to fly out to United Arab Emirates in the last week of August, RCB chairman Sanjeev Churiwala said on Sunday.
This will give team personnel adequate time to undergo quarantine, COVID-19 testing and a few days of training before the IPL commences on September 19.
“All the Indian players and support staff will first assemble in Bengaluru. They will be quarantined in a hotel in Bengaluru for a few days before flying out to the UAE in the last week of August. The players are keen to start practising, so our flight schedule has been worked to ensure adequate time is available to conduct nets in UAE,” Churiwala told The Hindu .
Churiwala added that players and staff will undergo testing and medical clearance before their departure. All members of the squad are being actively educated on the standard operating procedures (SOP) issued by the BCCI, a final draft of which will be shared with franchises soon.
Familiar with rules
“The bio-secure bubble in UAE will have strict rules like complete isolation and regular testing. All our players and support staff are now familiar with the rules. Safety and health is paramount. In this regard, the SOP draft covers all topics. All points will be fully implemented,” Churiwala said.
According to the SOP draft, members of all franchises will have to serve a mandatory week-long quarantine before starting on-field preparation. All franchises should appoint a team doctor, who will be responsible for ensuring that bio-secure environment medical guidelines are followed.
Passengers arriving at UAE are required to carry a negative COVID-19 PCR test report issued no more than 96 hours before their arrival in UAE.
