Enthused by the success of its first edition, Jharkhand T20 will be held this year too, from July 17 to August 3, with matches being livestreamed to compensate for the bar on spectators because of the ongoing Covid pandemic.
Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) has said 33 matches will be played during the tournament and there will be two matches a day. The semi-finals are slated for August 2, followed by finals the next day. All matches can be viewed on the Fan Code app from 9am-5pm.
The tournament will have six teams vying for the championship trophy. “This tournament is strictly for registered state players and there is no franchise owner or prize money involved. Neither will there be mentors,” said JSCA secretary Sanjay Sahay.
He said JSCA was taking all necessary precautions to ensure strict adherence to Covid guidelines. “All the officials and players will enter the premises after undergoing requisite tests and registration. Thereafter, they will need to report to the medical desk where they would need to submit their CCovid (RT-PCR negative) reports. After the submission, a personal sanitization kit shall be handed over to them,” he said, adding that detailed SOPs had been dispatched to all stakeholders of the tournament.
All players and match officials will camp inside the stadium premises till the end of the tournament as a safety measure. “However, if any member is required to step out of the stadium complex due to unavoidable circumstances, he is required to obtain prior permission in writing from the JSCA secretary. Upon his return, he shall be isolated from the rest of the squad and medically assessed before being allowed back in the team environment,” reads the SOP.
As for training and match play, all players/support staff will require to arrive dressed and ready to train/officiate/play matches to minimise the use of dressing rooms, washrooms and common areas.
“Use of washrooms and dressing rooms/match official’s room for post-training activities (showers, recovery, etc.) shall be minimised with a “arrive, train, depart” policy. Anyone requiring to use the shower can carry their own liquid soap bottles to the ground,” says the SOP.
