The T20 Cricket extravaganza is set to take place in the United Arab Emirates from September 19 to November 10. The IPL teams will start moving to UAE between 20-22 March. The Chennai Super Kings is the only team to leave for UAE on the 22nd after a week of training in Chennai.
Each team is allowed to take only 24 players. None of the cricketers have been able to train since March. The bowlers will be ready in a day or two, but it may take extra days for the batsmen to return to their old form.
Also, the teams will train after being isolated in Dubai. It is difficult to train as there are just 24 players. In addition, teams will use local bowlers at the venue for their net training.
It is currently not possible to arrange local net bowlers in Dubai due to the strict security guidelines of coronavirus. Nor the regular bowlers who are part of the squad can bowl to the batsmen for a longer period of time. The chances of injury increase if the bowlers are over bowled especially for the bowlers who are coming after a long break.
Thus the Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals teams are all set to take on the bowlers who have excelled in first-class cricket, under 23, under 19 years of age.
Chennai Super Kings team is planning to take 10 net bowlers. Similarly, the Kolkata Knight Riders team will take 10 bowlers and the Delhi team will take 6 bowlers. These players will practice with the teams until the start of the tournament. The teams are awaiting BCCI’s approval to take these net bowlers along with them.