New Delhi: With the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches set to be played behind closed doors, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) head coach Simon Katich said the empty stands will not hinder players’ performance and they are “motivated enough” to do well in the tournament.
IPL is getting underway on September 19 in the UAE, with stringent protocols and guidelines in place to safeguard players’ safety amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“I think the players will be motivated enough as there is a lot at stake in terms of the opportunity that it presents and the players want to make the most of that. They know this is a big tournament. Personally, I think some of the younger players actually enjoy the fact that there will be a little less pressure with less people at the ground, creating all that noise and distraction,” Katich said in a video posted on the RCB’s Twitter handle.
“I think it will be more of a challenge for some of the older guys that are used to the buzz of the crowd and getting their adrenaline going. But I think there will still be a lot of motivation within our squad to go out and perform well,” he added.
The 13th edition of the tournament was initially scheduled to commence on March 29 but it was postponed due to the pandemic. Now, IPL will be played from September 19 to November 10 in the UAE across three venues — Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.