Less than three weeks remain before Eden Gardens stages its first game of the ongoing IPL on May 9. The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), however, is ready with the necessary bio-bubble measures in place to ensure all the 10 matches at the stadium can be held uninterrupted.

The bubble has been set up essentially at blocks ‘K’ and ‘L’ along with a part in the ‘B’ block as that will be mainly for the broadcasters’ use.

“There are three zones essentially — Zone 1, which also has 1A, Zone 2 and Zone 3. Zone 1 is players’ area and 1A is that of players’ families, which would be one side each of blocks ‘K’ and ‘L’.

“Broadcasters fall in Zone 2, while Zone 3 will comprise CAB and BCCI officials,” CAB president Avishek Dalmiya told The Telegraph.

The Eden leg of this IPL ends on May 23 with back-to-back matches — Mumbai Indians versus Delhi Capitals at 3.30pm followed by the clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings from half past seven. In that case, the two conference rooms close to the association’s indoor facilities and the area there slotted for the CAB museum would be used as makeshift dressing rooms, Avishek informed.

Bio-bubble will be set up also at the JU Salt Lake Campus ground, which has been marked as another practice venue for the teams.

“The way we operated during the Bengal T20 Challenge last year, and then followed it during the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches earlier this year… the entire system was accepted by the Board.”

Vaccination

Earlier this month, several groundstaff at the Wankhede had tested positive for Covid-19. The association is taking all measures to prevent anything of that sort happening here. The CAB groundsmen too will be kept in the bubble in line with what the association had done in the past.

The CAB has had discussions with AMRI Hospitals who have recently obtained clearance for vaccination camps outside hospital premises. “They will visit the Eden on Tuesday and if things turn out to be feasible enough, they’ll then come to vaccinate our groundsmen and committee members,” Avishek said.

CAB is making the vaccination free of cost but not compulsory.