Bengaluru: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are set to reach Dubai on Friday ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, slated to begin on September 19.
Also, the team will commence a three-week camp from August 29 with Director of Cricket, Mike Hesson, and Head Coach, Simon Katich.
"RCB team will reach Dubai on August 21 and start a 3-week camp with Indian and International Players in collaboration with Mike Hesson and Simon Katich from August 29 onwards," the franchise said in a statement.
Initially scheduled to start in March, the 2020 edition of the IPL was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now, the 13th edition of the IPL will be played from September 19 to November 10, across three venues in the UAE -- Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai.
The franchise said that the players have been training together virtually, following a "world-class fitness regime" and they feel "completely ready" for the tournament.
"In an environment where fitness facilities have not been easily accessible, since the season announcement, RCB management has worked with the coaches to map the players based on fitness needs and divided them into groups," the statement read.
"Each group has been training together virtually and following a world-class fitness regime guided and monitored by Strength and Conditioning Coach, Shankar Basu from the convenience of their home. Even the team captain, Virat Kohli, was highly engaged in this fitness training hence ensuring, players feel completely ready even before they head for Dubai," it added.
RCB said the team will be undergoing six-day isolation and three COVID-19 testings before entering a bio bubble.
"From a safety perspective, the RCB team has put together very stringent guidelines which are in adherence to the health and safety protocols issued by BCCI. This is to ensure the highest levels of safety for the players and staff. These guidelines include testing for Covid-19 at three levels and an advance quarantine of Indian players before they take off for Dubai. The team in Dubai will be undergoing 6-day isolation and 3 COVID-19 testings again before entering a bio bubble," RCB said.
RCB Chairman, Sanjeev Churiwala, said, "RCB's biggest strength lies in love and support the team gets from their fans, and this is going to be a very different season where there will be no crowds cheering in the stadiums and no fans crowding the streets chanting their wishes."
"Also, the team is going to be isolated in a bio bubble for over two months, making it imperative that we implement all necessary measures for their physical and mental wellbeing. We have always strived to create a culture of excellence at RCB, and in a year like this, it is even more important that we give all the right support to the team so that they can walk into the stadiums roaring as true challengers," Churiwala added.
