Breach of IPL's bio-secure bubble will be dealt with very seriously: Mike Hesson

The IPL 2020 will be played in the UAE from September 19-November 10 and it will be played across three venues --Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.

Dubai: Indian Premier League's 13th edition is going to be one of its kind for many reasons. It is the first time since 2009 that the entire tournament will be played outside India and in a very strict and safe bio-secure bubble. Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) Director of Cricket Mike Hesson has expressed that if players do a wilful breach of the bio-secure bubble in the UAE they will have to face strong consequences.

The IPL 2020 will be played in the UAE from September 19-November 10 and it will be played across three venues --Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.

Mike Hesson

The official Twitter handle of RCB shared a video of virtual team meeting that all the players and support staff conducted on Monday.

"We have a document the BCCI has written, which is basically part of your contract. If there's a breach of the bubble, if it's a willful act, then that becomes a contractual issue between the player and RCB, it will be dealt with very seriously," Hesson can be heard as saying in the team meeting.

Mike Hesson

During the virtual team meeting, RCB skipper Virat Kohli asked as to what will happen if the players end up breaking the bio-secure bubble.

"If someone was to end up in such a situation or position, for me that's letting the whole team down. Because it might happen at a stage of a tournament where we can't afford to lose that player. If he does so, and we get harmed by it, then the whole team, the whole system, and culture loses. I just wanted to talk about this so that everyone understands the repercussions that may take place if someone violates the rules," Kohli said in the team meeting.

Simon Katich and Mike Hesson

In July, England's Jofra Archer was dropped from a Test match against West Indies as he broke the bio-secure bubble after taking an unauthorised detour to his home in Brighton.

All eight IPL franchises have reached UAE for taking part in the upcoming tournament.

Mike Hesson

As per the Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs), the BCCI has already told the franchises that the players have to undergo a mandatory seven-day quarantine period after arriving in the UAE.

As per SOPs issued by the BCCI, the players have to undergo RT-PCR tests on Day 1, 3, and 6 of the quarantine phase and then they will be entering the bio-bubble provided they test negative on all three occasions.

The 13th edition of the IPL will be played for 53 days, from September 19 to November 10, across three venues -- Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai.

The final match is scheduled to be played on a weekday, i.e. Tuesday, for the first time in the history of the T20 tournament.

This time, both the afternoon and evening matches will be played half-an-hour earlier than usual.