IPL 2020: English and Aussie players to undergo 36 hours quarantine; will be available for first match

Finally, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. All 21 Australian and English players arriving to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will have to quarantine themselves for just 36 hours instead of the mandatory six days, confirmed a senior IPL official.

The BCCI spoke with the relevant authorities in the UAE to successfully negotiate the issue, which had created a cloud of uncertainty over the availability of some of the star players for the first match of IPL 2020.

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"Yes, I can confirm that all the English and Australian players have to now undergo a 36-hour quarantine instead of six days. The matter has been sorted and most of the teams will now have their big stars available from the first game itself," a senior IPL official in the know of development told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

The development comes after an Aussie cricketer had written a letter to BCCI president Sourav Ganguly requesting him to reduce the self-isolation period.

England and Australia got done with their bilateral series last night and will touch down in the UAE late on Thursday night (UAE time). The veteran BCCI official added that all the players will undergo RT-PCR tests both before boarding and upon landing.

“They have undergone one rapid test before boarding (the flight) and will undergo another on arrival. Otherwise, the robust testing protocols will be followed as usual. The rationale behind the move is that all the players are entering from one bio-bubble to another,” he said.

IPL franchises laud BCCI for successfully addressing the issue

The Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI successfully negotiated the issue with the UAE authorities. (Image Credits: DNA India)

The news brought smiles back on the faces of franchise officials, who can now enjoy the services of their key overseas picks from the start of the tournament.

"The BCCI did a great job in reducing the quarantine period to 36 hours. This means teams like Chennai Super Kings (Josh Hazlewood and Sam Curran) and Rajasthan Royals (Smith, Buttler, Archer) will have all their players available from their first game. Ditto for Kings XI Punjab, who have Glenn Maxwell in their roster and Delhi Capitals, who have Alex Carey," a franchise official said.

The only IPL franchise which was unaffected by the mandatory six-day quarantine period was the Kolkata Knight Riders, who have their first game on September 23rd.