The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League will be devoid of any physical media presence due to the strict health safety protocols put in place in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the BCCI said on Friday.
It has also been learnt that this will be the first edition in which franchises would not be required to conduct pre-match press conferences. However, there will be a mandatory virtual media conference after every game.
"The Dream11 Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 is being held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Owing to the health and safety concerns, media personnel will not have access to the stadium to cover the games or team practice sessions," the BCCI stated in a media release.
"Additionally, this year, owing to the circumstances, there will be no new media registrations barring the UAE media," the Board further stated, which means only outlets in the gulf can register for official updates.
"The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recognises the high interest in the league and will facilitate virtual post-match press conferences after each match to the media," it added.
The scribes currently registered with the BCCI will continue to receive press releases and regular updates before and after every match. These press releases will contain details on procedures to join the virtual post-match press conferences and methods to send in questions for the team representatives during match-days.
The BCCI will also provide accredited media with 35 images per match, an increase from earlier years, throughout the tournament.
"The images must be used for editorial purposes and be credited with BCCI/IPL on every platform," it said in its release.
