IPL-bound Aussie cricketers caught by Indian ban return home

IPL suspended this month, following which all players left India on May 6 through a charter flight arranged and paid by the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI).

In April, high rates of Covid infections seen in arrivals from India, which has seen one of the world’s worst outbreaks of the novel coronavirus, placing a significant burden on health services.

Following the record surge in COVID-19 cases, Australian government blocked arrivals from India.

The group of 38 players, coaches, officials and TV commentators had reportedly been staying in the Maldives since then.

The IPL-bound cricketers in Sydney from the Maldives on a charter flight at about 7:30 am local time.

The cricketers will now complete 14 days' quarantine in Sydney.

On May 15, the Australian government lifted the controversial ban which included the threat of fines and jail sentences for returning citizens. The federal government made it a criminal offence to do so at the end of April in response to the surging coronavirus crisis in India.

The government has begun repatriation flights for some citizens.

The first plane landed in Darwin on Saturday morning after picking up vulnerable passengers from New Delhi. However, 72 passengers were barred from flying after 48 tested positive for Covid-19 and others were deemed close contacts.

The 80 passengers are the first people to enter Australia from India after the ban expired.

Initially, the flight was scheduled to carry 150 travellers, just over half of those booked were cleared to board the plane.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), those who test positive for novel coronavirus, or were deemed close contacts, have to remain in India until they return a negative test while those that were able to board, will quarantine for 14 days at the Howard Springs facility outside of Darwin.

Since March 2020, Australians have been barred from travelling overseas and nearly, 10,000 Australians and their immediate family members in India are seeking to return home.

In India hundreds of thousands of new coronavirus cases are being detected every day, and the death toll is soaring.