Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are working together with the BCCI to ensure a safe return back home for their players and support staff. The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 was suspended indefinitely on Tuesday (May 04) by the BCCI after a surge in COVID-19 cases in the bio-bubbles of the teams.

Ever since the suspension of the tournament, all eight teams have been making the best possible arrangements for the safe return of their members. RCB on Thursday shared a press release, revealing details of their plans to send each player and support staff back home safely.

The franchise said all domestic players will be charted to pre-identified hubs near their respective cities in India while the Australian players and support staff will be heading to the Maldives. The Australian players will be in quarantine at a hotel booked by RCB until the travel ban imposed on India is lifted by the Australian government on May 15.

“Following BCCI’s announcement on the suspension of IPL 2021, the management of Royal Challengers Bangalore has ensured that every member of the travelling contingent reaches home safely,” RCB stated in a release.

“We worked in consultation with BCCI and the respective cricket boards to ensure the safe return of all our personnel to their homes. There are stringent SOPs put in place by us, for those who are transiting from central hubs to their respective cities. We will be in constant touch with them till they reach home and continue to offer support to our personnel whenever necessary,” they added.

The New Zealand players and support staff who were part of the RCB contingent during the tournament, have already travelled to Auckland and are in touch with the New Zealand Cricket on SOPs. The South African players and support staff have also reached their homes safely via Mumbai and Doha.

Earlier, two RCB players Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson had left the tournament midway due to COVID-19 concerns and travelled back home to Australia.