Kings XI Punjab co-owner Ness Wadia on Thursday said the COVID-19 positive cases in the Chennai Super Kings contingent could have hit any of the eight franchises and wants only those people in the IPL bio-bubble who are "really required" to be with the players. Thirteen members of the CSK contingent, including two players, tested positive for the virus last week, raising safety concerns for the tournament taking place in the UAE amid the pandemic. "The CSK incident has taught us that it can happen to anyone even when the best of precautions are taken and therefore we must be more compliant and rigid on the bio-bubble protocols. We need to ensure only those who are really required to be with the players are part of the bubble," Wadia told PTI.

The franchisees' non-player and non-coaching staff includes team operations manager, and social media specialists. The cricketers are also required to spend time with the marketing staff during photo shoots which will be held closer to the IPL beginning September 19. The CEOs and owners, most of whom are yet to reach UAE, are also allowed in the bio-bubble but any SOP violation will send them into a seven-day quarantine. "The number of staff outside of the teams and their support staff and the match officials should be limited to the absolute minimum," this is what is stated in the BCCI SOP.