IPL 2021: Australia's Adam Zampa to miss RCB's first match vs Mumbai Indians

Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa is set to miss the first match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 for his franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) due to his marriage, RCB's director of cricket Mike Hesson has confirmed. 

RCB is scheduled to lock horns with defending champions Mumbai Indians on April 9 in what will be the tournament opener in Chennai. 

Zampa played just three matches for RCB in IPL 2020 and picked up two wickets. He has 200 wickets in 173 T20s.  

"We won't have our full contingent of overseas players available for the first game," Hesson said in a video posted by RCB on Twitter. "Adam Zampa is getting married. It's an important time for him and it's something that as a franchise we are aware of and we respect and we hope he has a great time. So when he joins us, once again he is going to be fresh and make a massive contribution to the rest of the tournament." 

Most of RCB's overseas contingent will arrive in India in a scattered manner with regards to international commitments and NOCs from their respective boards. Upon landing in India, they will have to serve a mandatory seven-day quarantine period before joining their team. 

"We have got players arriving all the way through till 1st of April, which is where we get the NOCs for some of the overseas players, particularly those who are playing," Hesson said. "Finn Allen is playing in T20s in New Zealand on the 1st of April; he will be coming the day after. We have got Australians who play up to 31st, likes of Daniel Sams, Kane Richardson. They then jump on a plane and come. ABD [de Villiers] arrives on 28th. 

"I see it as a jigsaw puzzle, pulling everything together. Those guys who haven't been playing a huge amount of cricket, it [the quarantine period] will benefit them. Those who have, I think seven days will be great for them just to refresh" 

"So we have got players arriving at different times and we have to factor that into our preparation, which will include some practice games heading into our first game on 9th." 

Meanwhile, RCB is set to commence their camp in Chennai on March 29.  

"We have got some who have been in the bubble all the time, so they will come straight bubble to bubble transfer," Hesson explained. "From Pune, they will join us. We have got one or two who will have a day or two at home. They have been in a bubble for so long and need to freshen up. When they will be arriving, they obviously will have to take their seven-day quarantine. 

"I see it as a jigsaw puzzle, pulling everything together. But really keen to get started. Those guys who haven't been playing a huge amount of cricket, it [the quarantine period] will benefit them. Those who have, I think seven days will be great for them just to refresh."