Flight ban a ‘concern’ for Black Caps as IPL begins

A Government ban on flights from India could become a major concern for Black Caps cricketers and coaches at the Indian Premier League, as they await vaccinations amid a worsening Covid-19 situation there.

Edition 14 of the world’s premier Twenty20 tournament was scheduled to begin in Chennai overnight when Royal Challengers Bangalore featuring Black Caps and IPL first-timers Kyle Jamieson and Finn Allen played the defending champion Mumbai Indians, with Trent Boult, Jimmy Neesham and Adam Milne in their ranks.

Ten Black Caps and seven coaches or support staff from New Zealand are involved in the IPL, which is scheduled for 56 matches across six cities in just over six weeks, before the finals series in Ahmedabad from May 26-31.

A Times of India headline on Wednesday read: ‘Dark Covid cloud hangs over IPL 2021’, as it begins in closed stadiums with new daily cases in India topping 100,000. Some players and staff tested positive in recent days and were isolated, including Australian Daniel Sams from RCB.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Thursday a ban on flights from India between April 11-28, after 17 new positive cases from there were reported in managed isolation.

New Zealand Cricket Players Association boss, Heath Mills,

said this was of more worry for players and staff at the IPL than the health risk as the teams operate in tightly controlled bubbles.

‘‘What our Government does is probably of more concern to the players.

‘‘Ultimately they can compartmentalise going to the IPL and doing their work, but they all have a date when they’re coming home and going into isolation and they’re all looking forward to that,’’ Mills said.

‘‘Hopefully, at the end of [the flight ban period on April 28] the Government is comfortable and they will be able to get back at the end of the IPL. That would be a major concern for the players if that was to eventuate, that they couldn’t get back in the country.’’

New Zealand Cricket public affairs manager Richard Boock said, given the duration of the tournament it was too early to comment on the New Zealand border.

Mills said: ‘‘The Government is acting in the best interests of all New Zealanders and everyone understands that.

‘‘If it [flight ban] does extend then we’ll look to try and talk to the Government, and New Zealand Cricket will be good around that.

‘‘They’ve got a great relationship with the Government and NZC clearly would be concerned and doing what they could to help the guys get back.’’

Of the Black Caps at the IPL, Kane Williamson, Boult, Jamieson, Neesham, Lockie Ferguson and Mitchell Santner are travelling directly to England at tournament’s end while Allen, Milne, Seifert and Scott Kuggeleijn, recently summoned as injury cover for Mumbai, would return to New Zealand.

Most of the coaching and support staff, which includes Mills’ brother Kyle who is on Kolkata Knight Riders’ payroll under Brendon McCullum, were booked to return home after the IPL.

No one was vaccinated before departure due to the time frame, and whether that happened in India remained uncertain.

Boock said NZC was monitoring the health situation in India and in close contact with each franchise with New Zealanders in