Rajasthan Royals, Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday arrived in the UAE for the IPL beginning September 19, setting the ball rolling for an event that many thought would not take place amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Royals and KXIP landed in Dubai via a charter flight, which will be the norm this IPL due to the ongoing health crisis. A little later in the evening, Kolkata Knight Riders arrived in Abu Dhabi, their base for the tournament.

The players, who were already tested multiple times before departure, will now undergo a six-day isolation period with testing on day 1, 3 and 6. If they clear all the tests, they will be eligible to enter the tournament’s bio-bubble and start training.

Subsequently, the players and support staff will be tested every fifth day of the tourney.

All three teams posted pictures of their players and support staff before departure. The Royals squad was fully covered in protective gear.

Defending champions Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and RCB will arrive in the UAE on Friday while the the other two teams, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals, will land over the weekend.

Bhajji will join later

Chennai Super Kings on Thursday announced that veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh will not be boarding the flight with rest of squad on Friday to UAE due to personal reasons and instead join his team within two weeks.

“Harbhajan will not be travelling with the team to Dubai due to personal reasons. He is expected to join the squad in two weeks,” a CSK official said on Thursday.