Dubai: All 12 Indian and three foreign umpires, besides five Indian match referees, have tested negative ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) even as they complied with the strict quarantine protocol — during which they had limited options for watching Hindi movies in their hotel rooms in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Their quarantine period is about to end on a positive note, and they are ready to officiate in the much-awaited 13th IPL starting on September 19.
Each official was tested on the first, third, and the fifth days of their six-day quarantine period, and they all have returned negative results, a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) source told IANS.
This would come as a big relief for the BCCI, particularly after 13 members of the Chennai Super Kings tested positive recently after landing in the UAE, raising a scare.
The 20 match officials underwent the mandatory Covid-19 tests as per the requirements of the local governments of the three emirates — Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah — where 56 league matches will be played till November 3, besides the four play-off matches, including the final on November 10.