Team India to get a crucial 20-day break from bio-bubbles between WTC final and England series

Team India will get some much-needed respite from bio-bubble life after the World Test Championship final ends later this month. Virat Kohli and Co. will spend 20 days outside the bio-bubble before returning to it around three weeks before the start of the England Test series.

India are currently training for the World Test Championship final and have been in quarantine since last month. Team India members first underwent a 14-day quarantine in Mumbai, before spending another three days in quarantine following their arrival in England.

Speaking to ANI, a source aware of Team India’s development confirmed the team will get a chance to exit the bubble once their WTC final against New Zealand draws to a close.

“The group will head off for the break on June 24 after the final against New Zealand and then regroup again around July 14 to prepare for the Test series against England which gets underway from August 4,” the source stated.

Virat Kohli talks about the mental health of players in the COVID era! #teamindia #indvsnz #wtcfinal #kohli #cricketnews pic.twitter.com/8cnmbaGVjj

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The India vs England Test series begins on August 4, and the packed schedule will see the two teams square off five times in just six weeks.

Both Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri have talked about the mental burden the bio-bubble life and hectic schedule can have on the players, and the said break will be a big boost for Team India.

Much has been said about the big gap between the WTC final and the start of the England Test series. But the break will offer a great chance for Team India to switch off and regroup.

India players have to stay within the UK during the break

Perfect setup for training 🌞#TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/Oub0R1DieZ

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 5, 2021

With a three-week break accorded to them, many Indian players might have wanted to use the opportunity to travel and spend time in other countries where COVID-19 cases aren’t prevalent. However, this won't be possible as players are expected not to leave the country in fear of getting stuck someplace else.

“See, it is simple. The boys need to switch off and relax, but we cannot ignore that COVID-19 is still not completely gone. So, the travel plans have to be made in such a way that the boys and the families that are in the UK don’t get stuck somewhere while taking the break. Imagine going to some other country and then that place gets a travel ban due to a sudden rise in cases. You don’t want your players or their families stuck. So, we are looking at places in the UK,” the source concluded.

Having completed their mandatory quarantine, India team for WTC final are set to begin training outdoors together as they build up to the World Test Championship final dated June 18.