Bengaluru, Oct. 11: The new normal in cricket is playing in a bio-secure environment.
Taking a cue from the cricket series which returned after a few months break due to the coronavirus pandemic, the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is being held across three venues in the UAE.
With the IPL being played behind closed doors and the teams living in secure bio-bubbles, it has meant that for the first time, most players will not have their families join them for the long tournament.
With players cooped up in team hotels and away from loved ones for months at a stretch it is taking some getting used to.
In a good initiative, the Delhi Capitals planned an emotional surprise for the entire squad.
Following their win over Chennai Super Kings, the team was called for a meeting. With the players gathered, they were informed that they would be shown clips of the last eight to ten matches as they hadn't performed well. That took the smile off the player's face. But chairman and co-owner Parth Jindal had a sweet surprise planned for the team.
The video clips started with coach Ricky Ponting's kids wishing the team luck and hoping they lift the title. That did lift the spirits of the coach and the players. Marcus Stoinis was almost in tears when he saw his family's video message.
Delhi, Dubai, or any part of the world, we always aim to keep players closer to their families 🤗
— Delhi Capitals (Tweeting from 🇦🇪) (@DelhiCapitals) October 11, 2020
Our Chairman & Co-owner, @ParthJindal11's stirring surprise made the DC stars emotional and surely brought them joy 😁
Not just a team, a family away from home 💙#YehHaiNayiDilli pic.twitter.com/Uz1ma9Vw9h