The five-match T20 International series between India and South Africa will be conducted without a bio-bubble. The series gets underway on Thursday, June 9 at the Arun Jaitely Stadium in Delhi.
Since the Covid-19 virus struck, the players were forced to play in a bio-bubble with restrictions in place. However, the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) in India Secretary confirmed that the Indian Premier League 2022 season was the last tournament to be conducted in a bio-bubble.
From the India vs South Africa series onwards, the players will be regularly tested. However, they will not be in bio-bubbles for the series. In an interview with the Times of India, Jay Shah stated,
“If I’m not wrong, the bio-bubble for IPL-2022 was the last. For the India-SA series onwards, players will be tested (for covid), but will not be any bio-bubble.”
Since there were restrictions in place over the movements of the players, the life inside the bubble was tough. However, the IPL teams tried to find a way out, arranging team activities and providing the players with different facilities.
“Yes, it’s tough for the players. However, they got a family-like atmosphere inside the hotel bio-bubble. In the case of the IPL, we had hotels dedicated to each team. The whole tournament was held in one place. All the teams had their lounges, and recreational centers (to relax and unwind). So, they also enjoyed it,” said Jay Shah.
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KL Rahul to lead India against South Africa
The Board of Control for Cricket in India recently announced the squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa. Skipper Rohit Sharma and other senior players have been rested for the series. Meanwhile, vice-captain KL Rahul has been handed the captaincy duties.
Young Indian pacer Umran Malik has been included in the squad, after a brilliant performance in the Indian Premier League. The players will be looked at closely, as the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 is around the corner.
India T20 squad: KL Rahul (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik.
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