The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly approved the permission to allow team players to bring their families along with them during the ICC Champions Trophy held in Dubai. It is a massive relief after a series of hard and fast rules introduced after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

How many family members will be allowed to accompany the players?

The BCCI has permitted players' wives and relatives to accompany them to the tournament but with one crucial condition. The relatives are only permitted to stay with players for a single game during the tournament. The players can communicate amongst themselves and put in a request to the BCCI, which will make arrangements accordingly.

This new development is a major change from earlier regulations, where families were not allowed to travel with the team for short-duration tours like the Champions Trophy. However, in light of the event's nature, the board has made an exception, allowing families to be present for a single game.

BCCI’s new family policy: What’s allowed?

Earlier, the BCCI’s new policy allowed family members to join players only during long overseas tours lasting over 45 days, with a strict two-week window. The policy also limited the presence of personal staff and restricted commercial shoots during tours.

But since the Champions Trophy is a shorter tournament, family accompany was not permitted earlier. Now, with this new rule, players will get to spend some time with their families, but the process of approval involves coordination between players and the BCCI.

The BCCI has stressed that the policy is to uphold professional standards and operational efficiency during international tours and series. In a statement, the board asserted that "any exceptions or deviations must be pre-approved by the Chairman of the Selection Committee and Head Coach." Failure to abide by these rules could lead to disciplinary action against players.

In addition, the BCCI cautioned that violation of any clause could result in sanctions, such as a possible ban on competing in BCCI tournaments such as the Indian Premier League, in addition to deductions from retainer fees or match fees under the BCCI Player contract.

Upcoming matches for India

India's first match of the 2025 Champions Trophy will be against Bangladesh on February 20, after which they have a high-pressure game against Pakistan on February 23. India will face New Zealand in their third game on March 2, which would be the make-or-break game for the team as they try to shine in the international arena.

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