Indian Team To Get Break From Bio-Bubble Life After WTC Final: Report

India take on New Zealand in the WTC final starting June 18 while the Test series against hosts England begins from August 4.

The Indian players will get a 20-day break from the bio-bubble life in England after the completion of the World Test Championship (WTC) final in Southampton. While the cricketers will disperse on June 24, they are set to return to the bubble for the five-Test series against England around July 14. Speaking to ANI, sources in the know of developments in the team management said it will be a welcome break as the team has to not only spend time in the bubble for the Test series against England, but will also straightaway move to the IPL bubble in the UAE post the Test series. "The group will head off for the break on June 24 after the final against New Zealand and then regroup again around July 14 to prepare for the Test series against England which gets underway from August 4," the source said. Asked if this meant the cricketers could head to any place which has low or negligible COVID-19 cases, the source said it has to be within UK so that there are no issues in regrouping after the break. "See, it is simple. The boys need to switch off and relax, but we cannot ignore that COVID-19 is still not completely gone. So, the travel plans have to be made in such a way that the boys and the families that are in UK don't get stuck somewhere while taking the break. Imagine going to some other country and then that place gets a travel ban due to a sudden rise in cases. You don't want your players or their families stuck. So, we are looking at places in the UK," the source explained.