At least 12 people and one player from the popular Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket team Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have tested positive for coronavirus. This reportedly includes a fast bowler and members of the team's support staff. The members of the team are currently stable and are under isolation, according to reports. The team had completed its six-day quarantine after reaching Dubai on August 21 and was yet to begin its training for the tournament that is scheduled to start on September 19.
It was earlier reported by ESPNCricInfo that the team had extended their quarantine period and postponed the start of their IPL training camp to September 1. While the detailed schedule is not out yet, this may come as a setback to the team that has the most number of wins in the league.
IPL’s protocol for COVID-19 mandates testing at the airport, followed by three follow-up tests on days one, three and five of the the mandatory six-day quarantine. Teams are allowed to start training only after all three tests return negative for all members of the team. BCCI, meanwhile, had mandated that Indian players and support staff will have to test negative for COVID-19 at least five times before they start training in the UAE, and subsequently will be tested every fifth day during the IPL tournament.
Before traveling to the UAE, the team and support staff had to undergo several tests as well. A BCCI official had told PTI that all Indian players and support staff will have to undergo two COVID-19 RT-PCR tests, 24 hours apart, a week before joining the 14-day quarantine period with their respective teams in India. Anyone who tested positive would have had to go into a 14-day quarantine, and then undergo two more COVID-19 RT-PCR tests within a space of 24 hours. Players and staff who were allowed to fly to the UAE for the tournament should have tested negative in these two tests as well.
The rules also mandated that during the first week in the UAE, the players and team officials shouldn't meet each other in the hotel and they can only do so after they test negative thrice, following which they will be cleared to enter the tournament bio-bubble and start training.
Over and above the BCCI testing protocol, the teams can do more tests on their own and additional tests may also be conducted under the rules put in place by the UAE government.
IPL 2020 is scheduled to begin from September 19 and the final will be held on November 10.
(With inputs from PTI)