IPL 2021: Arun Jaitley Stadium sealed for outsiders; BCCI & DDCA says “The Game is On” amid total lockdown in Delhi due to Covid 19 outbreak: Even as Delhi goes to a total lockdown from Monday night, Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) is completing its last minute logistics for staging the 2nd leg of IPL starting this weekend after sealing Arun Jaitley Stadium for outsiders from Monday.
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“The Game is On. The 2nd leg of IPL will be held as per schedule in Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. The lockdown will actually help us in carrying out our job more snoothly. In the next two days, all logisical work will be complete. BCCI has not told us to stop our work so we are continuing and will be completely ready to hold the IPL in the next two days. We are ready to hold the 2nd leg amid tight bubbles. No one need to worry. The cases outside will not affect the players, support staff and IPL will be held smoothly,. There is no need for us to go in huddle as things at our end is fully under control,” DDCA joint secretary Rajan Manchanda told Insidesport.co in an exclusive interview on Monday.
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A top BCCI official pointed out that point no 10 of Delhi Govt notification dated April 19 clearly states that lockdown is exceptional to any Stadium organising national & international level matches with no in attendance spectators.
Rajan Manchanda said “a dedicated teams of BCCI and IPL are already in Delhi. They have been vaccinated and under quarantine in their hotel rooms. They will be overseeing the arrangements and monitoring the situation on a day to day basis. There is a zero tolerance to breach any bio-bubble. All teams will travel in dedicated private jets, the pilot of whom have been vaccinated and quarantined. The drivers and helpers of the chartered buses which will take the IPL players and support staff from the airport to their respective hotels, have also been vaccinated and are going through a 15-day quarantine after which they will enter the bio-bubble. The bus will not enter Zone 1 and will leave the players at the designated gates.”
Elaborating the details of the preparation at the venue, the DDCA secretary said: “The stadium will be sealed a week before the first match. On match days, we are opening only 4 to 5 gates of the 22 gates of the stadium. Around 200 policemen will be required for the security purpose. No outsider or any spectator will be allowed inside the stadium at any cost. There will be 3 dedicated zones 1, 2 & 3 with two tight bio bubbles in Zone 1 & 2. Team A & Team B’s entry gates will be different. All 3 zones of the bio bubble are strictly meant for designated people in that zone. Bio bubble in Zone 1 will consist of IPL teams and support staff, Zone 2 will have a bio-bubble consisting of broadcasters and their support staff and Zone 3 consists of ground staff, housekeepers and 30 members of each franchisee, around 15 BCCI, IPL and DDCA officials. The entry will be strictly by accreditation card with name mentioned on it. No family members of any official will be allowed. All DDCA officials and staff members have received Covid vaccines. These include DDCA top officials, from members of Apex Council and Board of Directors to the DDCA staff and all employees and safai karamcharis. Earlier also they were thoroughly tested and almost all had come negative. We are working with just 30 per cent staff and will continue to have period covid tests.”
IPL 2021: Arun Jaitley Stadium sealed for outsiders; BCCI & DDCA says “The Game is On” amid total lockdown in Delhi due to Covid 19 outbreak
