In just 10 days alarm bells started ringing in IPL bubble

“Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble!” As kids we always had a problem when it came to reciting this famed line from the Shakespearean tragedy Macbeth as the last word (bubble) always replaced double. By a strange irony, the happenings in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where the Indian Premier League (IPL) is to kick off in three weeks from now, there seems to be a bit of a burst in the bubble; very different from what the three witches had chanted in the Bard’s play.

In just ten days (from when the teams playing the IPL landed in the desert country) the alarm bells started to ring when part of the contingent of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were tested Covid positive, two of them being players. As if that was not enough, Suresh Raina, an iconic player who sports the yellow jersey pulled out of the edition and flew back to India citing personal reasons.

This will be the first (of the thirteen) edition without the 33-year old middle order batman who has been the perfect foil to skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, helping in making CSK a champion team. While no official statement giving specific reasons for Raina’s departure has been issued barring a standard response from the team management that offered complete support to him and his family, one respects the effervescent cricketer’s personal decision and leaves it at that.

With members testing positive, whatever plans that team CSK may have had of stepping out of their forced confines will need to be reviewed, effectively throwing a spanner in their works. Coming out after a five month hiatus and being thrown, once again, in severe lock down situation with zero human contact is going to be a big test for the players who are raring to step out on the grassy field.

Those who have been given the privilege to travelling to the UAE with their families are fortunate unlike the others who will have to rest content staring at the same view out of their hotel rooms for a week to do so. The rules of confinement, set for the IPL, are very stringent and any deviation can lead to further isolation as was found out by England pacer Jofra Archer who broke the bio security bubble during the recently concluded Test series against the West Indies.

With quarantine rules being different in the three

Emirates — Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi — the plans for teams change depending on where they are based. Unlike in Dubai and Sharjah, which have a 7-day quarantine, Abu Dhabi has an isolation period of 14-days which entails a further delay of a week for two teams, Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians who are camping there.

With multiple medical tests and strict guidelines to ensure that no member, player or otherwise, crosses the lines marked by the bio security bubble, the endurance and patience of all contingents will be severely tested.

Apart from monitoring the movements of players and support staff, team managements are tasked with the all important effort to keep everyone in good spirits and in a positive frame of mind. The IPL is a high powered tournament in which a big role is played by maintaining the mental balance of team members and keep them from succumbing to pressure which can make or break the sides.

By organising the IPL in these trying times, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have taken up a challenge which is unprecedented in the history of cricket. Managing eight teams, replete with 20-plus players along with the support and administrative staff is a mind blowing exercise which the BCCI is confident of pulling off. Teams apart, handling an entire ecosystem of affiliates and partners (broadcast and more) for 80 plus days under harsh guidelines is going to be a thankless and ground breaking effort.

With just two weeks before the tournament begins, the cases affecting CSK have given the BCCI a mini preview of the tough demands that lie ahead. These are testing times for the BCCI which has a huge task on hand, one that can enhance or sully their reputation after having taken on a mammoth challenge. The obvious pun inserted in the statement will probably cause the naysayers to guffaw but the organisers who are currently running the show are certainly not in the mood for a laugh. They will be on double shifts to ensure that the bubble does not burst and the league stays out of trouble.