How COVID19 breach inside the bio bubble in IPL 2021?, this is the major question that starts to raise once BCCI announced the IPL 2021 postponement.
BCCI decides to postpone the IPL 2021 owing to the spike in COVID19 cases inside the bio bubble. Players were quarantined before entering the bio bubble and isolated from being in contact with the outside world.
Though BCCI followed strict protocols some of the IPL 2021 participants were tested positive for the COVID19. A first, KKR’s Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier tested positive which forces the postponement of their game against RCB.
All at once, CSK announced that three of their non-playing members were tested positive for the same. Though they again announced that they were tested negative the team enters into one-week isolation. This made the situation even worse.
BCCI came to the decision of postponing the IPL 2021 when SRH wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha and DC’ Amit Mishra also tests positive for COVID19.
Possible Reasons for COVID19 breach in IPL 2021
Though BCCI prepared strict protocols for the IPL 2021 they too leave some loopholes in their “Standard Operation Procedures”. Following are the list of possible ways for COVID19 breaching in IPL 2021 bio secure bubble.
Random Hotels
Hotels were booked randomly instead of being in closer proximity to stadiums. One franchise stayed in a hotel based inside a mall. Hotels weren’t kept reserved for later use. At some hotels, the BCCI is unsure if staff were quarantined for a mandatory 14 days.
Training Session
Ground staff wasn’t put inside a bio-bubble as several from Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai turned positive. On occasions, both franchises came to the ground to train at the same time.
Fault in Match Schedule
Matches were scheduled in multiple cities despite spectators not being allowed to “negate home advantage”. In the IPL, crowds alone are considered a home advantage. Scheduling the IPL in a single city would have worked better.
No Central Bubble
Unlike the 2020 edition in UAE, BCCI did not hire an IT and safety company once again to build a central bubble. The board hired the services of a hospital and a testing laboratory.
Notably, BCCI moves the IPL 2020 to UAE owing to the COVID19 pandemic at that situation. Not like IPL 2021, UAE hosts all the matches without even a single positive case inside the bio bubble.
Faulty GPS Tracking
Franchises are complaining of a faulty GPS tracking system where the FOBS handed over to individuals were ‘sub-standard’.
Transportation
The majority of the cases were emerged during or after travel. Tarmac to tarmac flights were not arranged.
Hostel Staff Wasn’t Quarantined
In certain hotels. staff did not undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine before check-ins. The mandatory seven-day quarantine protocol was read incorrectly.
No Education Programs
There was no education program set up, except the handing over of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
Crew Bubble Hassle
Broadcast crew and commentators, having to travel on an emergency basis, were left with no choice but to fly economy. Broadcasters were left to create their own separate bubble.
Though BCCI has not yet finalized the reschedule of the remaining matches IPL chairman claims that BCCI may reschedule IPL 2021 around the ICC T20WC 2021.
