IND v SA | No bio-bubble for T20I series, confirms BCCI secretary Jay Shah

The bio-bubble life has been quite strenuous on players ever since cricket started in the post-covid era, and many players have complained about mental fatigue, which leads to them taking breaks from the sport they love. Ahead of the five T20Is series between India and South Africa, it has been decided that the bio-bubble arrangement will not be in place for this tour.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah has categorically mentioned that the bubble will not be in place for players, but regular testing will continue as per the procedure.

Speaking to TOI, Shah said, "If I'm not wrong, the bio-bubble for IPL-2022 was the last. So for the India-SA series onwards, players will be tested (for covid), but will not be any bio-bubble."

"Yes, it is challenging for players. However, they have a family-like atmosphere inside the hotel bio-bubble. In the case of IPL, we had hotels dedicated for each team. The whole tournament was held at one place. All the teams had their lounges and recreational centres. So, they also enjoyed it," Shah added.

Shah lauded the Mumbai and Maharashtra Cricket Associations for conducting a spotless league stage that made IPL 2022 a trouble-free affair for all.

"We want to thank them for helping us out. If we had conducted the IPL in entire India, and there was a covid outbreak, then everyone would've suffered-both the players, and the BCCI would've suffered financial losses. We organized it in Mumbai and Pune because we could do away with air travel for the teams. Ground transport was enough," he clarified.

Shah, who was in attendance for both Qualifier 2, and final of the Women's T20 Challenge 2022, will be seen in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 final taking place tonight at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad between Gujarat Titans (GT) and Rajasthan Royals (RR).

The T20I series between India and South Africa will commence on June 9 and will take place across five cities - Delhi, Cuttack, Vishakhapatnam, Rajkot, and Bangalore.