Indian team to leave for UK on June 2

After completing an eight-day hard quarantine in Mumbai, Indian cricketers will depart for the United Kingdom. Team India is expected to leave on June 2 for the World Test Championship Final followed by five-match Test series against England.

“Indian team will have eight days of hard quarantine (confined to hotel rooms) in India with mandatory negative RT-PCR reports on second, fourth and seventh day required to board the flight," a senior BCCI official was quoted as saying to PTI on Saturday.

The board is still negotiating the duration of the quarantine upon arriving. If it's a 10-day quarantine, the team will be allowed to move around the city from June 13 onwards. The much-awaited WTC final between India and New Zealand gets underway on June 18 at Southampton’s Rose Bowl Stadium. Given that no practice matches are scheduled before the title-decider, Indian selectors have picked a jumbo squad so that the team can play a few intra-squad matches. The intra-squad matches would allow the players to adapt quickly to the English conditions. Considering the duration of the Tour, it is understood that players' families will accompany them. 

The source also said that the players would be permitted to practice during the soft quarantine period. This relaxation of the rule will prove to be a huge relief to the players. 

"Since we have a bubble to bubble transfer, it needs to be seen if the duration of the 10-day quarantine can be reduced a bit. However, players during soft quarantine can go for training. In any case, Hotel Hilton where the teams will be put up in Southampton, is a part of the Ageas Bowl property," the source added. 

[PTI input]