Delhi Capitals' spinner Axar Patel has tested positive for COVID-19.
With merely seven days to go for Delhi Capitals' first match of the season against Chennai Super Kings, the franchise faced a big blow as their premier left-arm spinner Axar Patel has tested positive for COVID-19.
According to ANI, the Delhi Capitals camp confirmed that the spinner has contracted the virus.
"Unfortunately, Axar has tested positive. He is isolating and all protocols are being followed," the source told ANI.
Axar is the second player participating in the tournament to have tested positive for the coronavirus. Earlier, Kolkata Knight Riders' Nitish Rana had also tested positive, but returned a negative test earlier this week.
According to the BCCI SOP for a COVID-19 positive case, the concerned person must isolate in the designated area outside the bio-secure environment for a minimum of 10 days from the first day of symptoms or the date of collection of the sample which resulted in a positive RT-PCR report, whichever is earlier.
The franchises based in Mumbai face further concerns and have tightened the testing after members of ground staff at the Wankhede Stadium also tested positive on Saturday.
Maharashtra has been the worst-hit state in the second wave of COVID-19 in India.
Maharashtra on Friday recorded 47,827 new COVID-19 cases, its highest daily rise since the coronavirus pandemic began last year.
It took the state's caseload to 29,04,076, a Health Department statement said. As many as 202 coronavirus-related deaths were reported in the state on Friday, taking the death toll to 55,379, it said.
There are 3,89,832 active cases in the state.
