MUMBAI: In a swift revision of its guidelines, the BCCI on Saturday revoked its rule for a mandatory negative report of the RT-PCR test for its office-bearers and Apex Council members, who will watch IPL-2021 matches at the President’s Box at the Wankhede Stadium.
TOI had reported on Friday that, with the covid situation in the city worsening by the day, the Board had made it mandatory for all the officials who would be attending IPL- 2021 matches at the Wankhede Stadium to produce a negative report of the RT-PCR test conducted within 48 hours of the match day.
However, the BCCI has changed its rule now. Following the BCCI’s directive, the MCA had on Thursday asked its Apex Council members to produce a covid negative report at the entrance of the Wankhede Stadium to be eligible to watch IPL-2021 matches at the iconic stadium.
“It has now been decided that all the office-bearers and Apex Council members, who will watch IPL-2021 matches at the President’s Box at the Wankhede Stadium, don’t need to give a negative report of the RT-PCR test. However, they need to take ‘adequate precautions’ while coming to watch the games,” said a source in BCCI.
The first IPL game at the Wankhede, between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals, fell on Saturday, the first day of the weekend lockdown in the city. “Special permissions were issued to all the officials to watch the match,” said the source.
Wankhede will stage 10 matches of IPL-2021 between April 10-25. Last Saturday, 10 members of the ground staff at the Wankhede Stadium had tested positive, but most of them recovered later. Two more members of the ground staff and a plumber at the stadium tested positive for coronavirus later.
