Padikkal’s Direct Entry Into RCB Bubble

Devdutt Padikkal missed the IPL 2021 opener against Mumbai Indians. But his entry into the Royal Challengers Bangalore bubble seems to have upset other franchises. Teams are unhappy that Padikkal has been given direct entry into the team space. The general practice is that the player has to undergo a mandatory seven-day quarantine in the hotel. But Padikkal has been exempted from this exercise. Teams have started raising questions if all the bio-secure protocols were followed or if a loophole was exploited. An official close to a different franchise stated, “If home quarantine is allowed, then many of our team members would have preferred that.”