Australian cricketers, coaches and commentators, who were engaged in the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) and are currently stranded in the Maldives, could return home this Sunday, as per a report by ESPNCricinfo. The Australian government's ban on travellers from India due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be lifted on Saturday and Cricket Australia (CA), Australia Cricketers' Association (ACA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are awaiting confirmation on whether the contingent can head home once the restrictions are repealed.
If the batch is allowed to return after the end of the ban, a group of 38 would be able to take a charter flight out of the Maldives via Malaysia to Sydney on May 16, where they would then serve their mandatory 14-day quarantine period.
The 2021 IPL was suspended indefinitely after multiple cases of COVID-19 cropped up within four of the eight franchises' bio-bubble. Having been forced to take a detour to the Maldives, the Australian contingent stayed put in a secure bio-bubble on the island for the time being as the board decided against seeking an exemption from the national government to expedite their homecoming.
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