AFTER HOLDING 29 matches throughout 4 weeks in the midst of a Covid surge that has prompted havoc throughout the nation, the IPL’s bio-bubble was breached with two Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) gamers and two non-playing members of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) contingent testing constructive.
The growth led to Monday evening’s recreation between KKR and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Ahmedabad being postponed and a cloud of uncertainty over the continued T20 league that ends on May 30.
With KKR spinner Varun Chakravarthy and medium pacer Sandeep Warrier testing constructive, cricketers from 4 different groups that performed towards the Kolkata aspect during the last 14 days have been requested to self-isolate by their franchises.
CSK is predicated in Delhi and scheduled to play Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday.
On Monday, an IPL media advisory knowledgeable that Chakravarthy and Warrier have examined constructive “in the third round of testing”. It additionally confirmed the rescheduling of the KKR versus RCB recreation.
The BCCI, as of now, will go forward with the event and a prime official mentioned it gained’t be postponed or shifted to the UAE, the place it was held final yr throughout the pandemic. “More double-headers are an option,” the official mentioned.
Only final week, BCCI’s interim CEO Hemang Amin had assured all of the groups that they had been “totally safe” within the IPL bio-bubble. According to a supply, Chakravarthy left the bio-bubble by the official channel to have a scan on his shoulder, with permission from the BCCI and his franchise.
“We will look into how players inside the bubble contracted the virus. Varun Chakravarthy might have got himself exposed during the scan, but we don’t want to pinpoint without verifying the details. We will take necessary steps to address the situation,” mentioned the BCCI official.
Over the previous 14 days, KKR has performed towards Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings and CSK. As per the IPL’s Covid-19 tips, “close contact” of an affected particular person ought to “isolate for six days” and return “3 negative tests on Day 1, 3 and 6”. This places a query mark over KKR’s matches, and can contain a minimum of 4 different franchises as nicely.
As for CSK, a BCCI official mentioned the 2 members of the contingent, each non-playing employees who stayed within the bubble, will “undergo another round of testing”, whereas additional exams can be performed on each particular person, together with gamers.
As a part of Covid security measures, the IPL group league fixtures are being performed in phases this yr. Mumbai and Chennai hosted the primary part adopted by Ahmedabad and Delhi, after which Kolkata and Bangalore. The playoffs and the ultimate can be performed in Ahmedabad.
For the organisers, a tweak at this stage is tough with the ultimate scheduled on May 30 and little room for an extension. The ICC World Test Championship remaining between India and New Zealand is scheduled to be performed at Southampton from June 18-22, and the Indian crew ideally wants a transparent 15-day hole after the IPL.
Sources mentioned cricketers from the groups which have performed towards KKR might be examined each day and preparations have been made with a hospital to make sure that reviews are obtained the identical day.
Earlier, the IPL media advisory had acknowledged: “Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier were found to be positive in the third round of testing in the last four days. All other team members have tested negative for COVID -19.”
It additionally mentioned that KKR have now moved in direction of each day testing “to identify any other possible cases and treat them at the earliest”.