What is Bio Bubble in cricket: Will IPL 2021 be played in a bio-secure environment?

Bio Bubble in cricket: Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the competitive cricket has been played inside bio-bubbles.

A couple of most common terms associated with all competitive cricket in the last one year are “Bio-bubble” and “Bio-secure environment”. Considering a global crisis which had shaken the world last year, these terms weren’t just limited to cricketing competition but all other sporting events as well.

The primary reason behind the advent of these terms was the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic which had drawn multiple lines with respect to meeting and interacting with fellow human beings without following certain measures.

What is Bio Bubble in cricket?

In simple words, a bio-bubble in cricket is nothing but a safe and risk-free environment where all the concerned stakeholders such as players, officials, administrators, broadcasters etc. reside to prevent any physical interaction with the outside world.

The concept of a bio-bubble was implemented in cricket to ensure that elite-level athletes don’t contact the virus whilst playing under testing conditions. Depending on the nature and the size of cricketing competition, bio-bubbles can be one or more than one for various stakeholders.

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A bio-bubble isn’t entirely risk-free as there have been COVID-19 positive cases. Having said that, strictly following bio-bubble norms minimizes the risk factor to a great extent.

Despite cricket being played in bio-secure bubbles since June 2020, there have been instances of spectators being allowed to watch live matches from inside the stadiums. In such cases, it is ensured that no physical interaction takes place between spectators and players or other stakeholders.

Will IPL 2021 be played in a bio-secure environment?

Yes, the upcoming 14th season of the Indian Premier League will also be played inside a bio-secure environment. Ideally, BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) would’ve wanted to allow spectators into the stadium but eventually decided it against it due to the number of COVID-19 cases in the country.

The 52-day tournament will be played across six venues namely Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. To reduce the travel, each team will only play at four venues during the league stage. Therefore, travelling only thrice in the process.

All the venues will have respective bio-secure bubbles. Players joining these bio-bubbles from outside any bubble will have to undergo a seven-day quarantine period.

What is bio bubble fatigue in cricket?

The simple meaning of the word “fatigue” is excessive tiredness resulting from any type of exertion (physical or mental). Similarly, bio-bubble fatigue happens due to spending excessive time inside bio-secure environments.

A primary reason why cricketers (or any other athlete) complain about bio-bubble fatigue is that living in such environments for an elongated time period has it in it to affect an individual mentally. Not being able to physically meet new people (including family and friends) while constantly traveling around the world amidst the pressure of elite on-field performances can surely affect anyone’s well-being.