Air travel and food delivery likely exposed players and staff to Covid-19, revealing cracks in the league’s bio-bubble, and forcing organisers to put the Indian Premier League on hold indefinitely.
The cash-rich cricket tournament suffered a major blow that could cost the BCCI over Rs 2,000 crore after multiple players, including Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Wriddhiman Saha and Delhi Capitals’ Amit Mishra, tested positive despite a bio-bubble in place to protect players from the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in India.
However, the precautions may not have been completely foolproof, according to a report by NDTV. Two players and one team coach likely caught the virus while traveling through an airport terminal as teams’ requests for tarmac access had been denied by state governments.
While air travel was the biggest concern, there are also reports of faulty tracking devices and doubts regarding the testing and quarantine measures in place for ground and hotel staff, catering, net bowlers, DJs, and drivers, who were outside the bio-bubble but came in contact with players and management. Food delivery was reportedly permitted until the last week.
The BCCI had left player and staff safety to the individual franchises, who pawned the responsibility off to local hospital vendors and testing labs, according to the report. This was in stark contrast to the successful IPL 2020, organised in the United Arab Emirates, which had entrusted Restrata, a professional firm, with maintaining the bio-bubble.
Top decision-makers in the BCCI are reportedly planning to shift the 16-team tournament to the UAE in October-November, with health experts warning of a third Covid-19 wave to hit Indian shores in September.
Australia pacer Pat Cummins feels the IPL organisers, in hindsight, could have "tweaked a few things" after deciding to host the league in India amidst a raging Covid-19 pandemic. Cummins, a key part of the Kolkata Knight Riders team, said the previous edition held in UAE was incredibly "well-run" and the organisers pushed it a "little step further" by organising it at home this year. He, however, didn't specify what exactly could have been done differently in his comments which were made before the postponement of the league on Tuesday.