New Delhi: Delhi Capitals opener Shikhar Dhawan said that he sought blessings from his parents before leaving for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Delhi Capitals meanwhile have reached the UAE, Thursday night. The 13th edition of the IPL will be played in the UAE.
“Came to seek blessings and wishes from my parents before the long tour. They still see me as a kid. Smiling face with smiling eyes. There’s no love like the love of your parents and I’ll always cherish it. Hope to do well,” Dhawan tweeted with an image of him hugging his parents.
See link: https://twitter.com/SDhawan25/status/1296374130162319361/photo/1
The IPL was originally scheduled to start March 29 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now set to begin September 19 and will be played over 53 days. The UAE will host the lucrative T20 league and all matches will be played in bio-secure venues.
Dhawan is among the senior most members of the Delhi Capitals that will be led by Shreyas Iyer. Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also tweeted an image of himself in his protective kit in a flight getting ready to depart for the UAE.
The final will be played November 10.
A senior BCCI official said that all the players and IPL team owners have been told to take care of themselves.
Also read: IPL-13 finally gets rolling, Royals, KXIP, KKR land in UAE
“Strict instructions have been given to all the players, coaching staff, owners and other members. We don’t want that because of someone’s mistake, others get infected and suffer,” the official said.
“UAE will provide all the help needed regarding safety of players (medical or other). The teams’ owners have also been asked not to roam here and there freely because coronavirus cases are no less in that nation. After so many delays, the IPL is going to happen and everybody will have to respect it and be more responsible. So precautions must be taken,” the official said.
It should be stated here that Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings arrived at the venue earlier Thursday. All the players will be in quarantine for the next six days before they enter the bio bubble zone.