The skipper of RCB Virat Kohli has warned his teammates in the first virtual meeting which was carried out on Monday. Asking them to do whatever they can to follow the protocols and keep the bio-bubble secure. It could’ve easily been a normal team meeting but Kohli has other plans and meant business straightaway. He was eager to tell the team how important it will be to follow the protocols which are put in place by the authorities in the UAE.
Sneak peek into RCB’s first virtual team meeting of #IPL2020 after landing in the UAE, with @CoachHesson, @imVkohli and Simon Katich welcoming the team and addressing them on an exciting season that’s right around the corner! 💻🤩#PlayBold #BoldDiaries pic.twitter.com/VA4jY7HylN
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) August 24, 2020
Kohli following the conversation said that they have followed whatever has been told to them and he expects each of his team mates to be on the exact same page in terms of securing the bubble at all times and to make sure that nothing is compromised.
He further added that one mistake by anyone from the team could possibly spoil the entire tournament.
On the other hand Head coach Simon Katoch and Mike Hesson who is RCB’s director of cricket operations were also present in the meeting and initially had a talk on the consequences of violating the rules.
Hesson spoke up by saying that any sort of violation will be taken very seriously. In case of any accidental breaches the players will be sent into isolation for 7 days and will return only if they test negative. So it is pretty much clear that the authorities are taking extreme measures to keep everyone safe.
Players will have to sign certain documents where they agree to follow all the rules and protocols. They should be ready to face the consequences in case of any breach or violation of the protocols.
Virat Kohli added that it is everyone’s individual responsibility to think and understand the fact that they need to protect the bubble.
The skipper of RCB is keen to get on the pitch to have their first training session. He is looking forward to develop a good team culture from the beginning and hopes to carry it out till the end.
The skipper feels that he needs to create an environment for the team where everyone feels together and no player is left behind. On the hand he wants everyone to be responsible for where they want to go.
Keeping in mind the pandemic and situation amidst the Covid-19, the Indian Premier League has moved to the UAE where the matches will be held across three venues of Sharjah, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. The tournament is set to take off from September 19 and will end on November 10.
The teams have reached UAE where all the players are under constant isolation for a period of 6 days as to follow standard operating procedure held by the BCCI.
Keeping in mind the rules and protocols, all the players are expected to report and get tested on days one, three and six in the quarantine period. The players who turn out to be negative in all the three tests will be allowed to enter the tournament bio-bubble.
It does not end here, to take precaution the players will be tested every fifth day of the tournament. Keeping it clean the players and support staff were already checked several times before they have reached UAE.