Drones may soon bring cricket even closer to the fans, with aviation regulator DGCA allowing the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to use the aerial machines to cover matches in 2021.
"Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have granted a conditional exemption to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the deployment of drones for live aerial cinematography of the India Cricket Season in 2021," a statement from the Ministry said on February 8.
The exemption is valid till December 31, 2021.
It is yet unclear how early drones will be used in cricket matches, or if they will be used for the next matches in the ongoing India-England series.
Aerial cameras, hanging by a cable, have been common in cricket matches now. Spidercam, Skycam, they came in several names. Drones, too, have been used before, in the 2017 Champions Trophy. But this was limited to analysing the pitch before the start of the match.
With the latest exemption, drones may be used to cover the match too.
Drones have been used during cricket matches, only by policemen to add to the security around a stadium. Mumbai's Quidich Innovation Lab will be the operator of drones.
“The drone ecosystem is evolving rapidly in our country. Its utilization is expanding from agriculture, mining, healthcare and disaster management to sports and entertainment, " said Amber Dubey, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation.
“The Drone Rules 2021 are in the final stages of discussion with the law ministry. We are hoping to receive the approvals by March 2021", he added.