The Indian Premier League (IPL) match between the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the Mumbai Indians (MI), scheduled for May 4, is now in doubt after a SRH player reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, news reports suggest.
The match is scheduled to begin at 7.30 pm Indian Standard Time.
Moneycontrol could not independently verify these news reports. The IPL Governing Council, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and SRH had not immediately commented on the matter.
All teams, broadcast crew and organisers are operating in a bio-secure bubble amid the COVID-19 second wave. While the tournament has continued, multiple players have withdrawn in recent days.
It was reported earlier in the day that the match between the Chennai Super Kings and the Rajasthan Royals, scheduled for May 5, would likely be rescheduled after CSK's bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji and a member of the travel staff tested positive for the infectious disease. The IPL GC has not formally confirmed rescheduling of this match yet.
This came a day after the May 3 match between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) was rescheduled as a precautionary measure after two KKR players -- Varun Chakaravarthy and Sandeep Warrier -- tested positive for COVID-19.
The organisers said that all other KKR team members had tested negative for COVID -19.
In a statement, the Governing Council had said that both players have isolated themselves from the rest of the squad. “The Medical Team is in continuous touch with the duo and are monitoring their health.”
The Knight Riders will undergo daily testing to identify other possible cases. “The Medical Team is also determining the close and casual contacts of the two positive cases during the 48 hours prior to collection of the sample that returned the positive test results,” the statement added.
The season is currently in its league stage which will be followed by the Playoffs. The final will be held on May 30.
Follow Moneycontrol’s full coverage of IPL 2021 here