Jay Shah, the Honorary Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has assured that they are putting in all possible efforts to ensure the smooth conduct of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Jay Shah's affirmation comes amidst rising Covid-19 cases in India. 1,31,968 cases were reported in the country on April 8. In the last few days, some of the cricketers and other personnel involved with the tournament have also contracted the virus.
Just a few hours before the commencement of IPL 2021, Jay Shah took to Twitter to share his excitement about the league's return to India.
"#IPL returns home. In these trying times, @BCCI is doing everything possible to have a safe @IPL. I wish all the athletes & stakeholders the very best of health & success. @ChennaiIPL @DelhiCapitals @mipaltan @SunRisers @RCBTweets @PunjabKingsIPL @KKRiders @rajasthanroyals," he wrote in his tweet.
The IPL franchises have always had home advantage whenever the tournament's been played in India. But due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the BCCI has transformed the league's format for this edition.
No franchise will get to play at their home venue this year, with matches scheduled at six neutral venues. A caravan format has been adapted for this tournament, and the teams will only travel thrice during the league stages.
Playing away from home will bring a new set of challenges for the franchises and test their mettle.
Also, the BCCI has put in strict SOPs and protocols to be followed during the IPL. A total of 12 bio-secure bubbles will be in place during the tournament - 8 for the participating teams, two for match officials, one for the match management teams, and another two for the commentators and the crew.
At least the first half of this edition of the tournament will be played behind closed doors like IPL 2020. Moreover, there will be upto four 'bubble integrity managers' associated with each of the 12 IPL bubbles to ensure there are no breaches.