« Knight Riders have now turned to a daily testing routine to identify other possible cases, » says IPL
Monday’s IPL match between the Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challenges Bangalore in Ahmedabad was postponed after the mysterious Knight Riders spinner, Varun Chakravarthy, and the Seam Bowler Sandeep Warrier tested positive for Covid-19.
Chakravarthy is believed to have recently exited the IPL’s biosecure bladder through the official green channel to do a scan on his shoulder and there he may have been exposed. Aside from Chakravarthy and Warrier, the rest of the latest tests of the Knight Riders contingent were clear.
This is the first case of positive Covid-19 cases among members within the IPL bubble since the beginning of the 2021 season. The IPL confirmed these developments with a statement that « Knight Riders have now moved into a daily testing routine to identify other possible cases » and that their « medical team will also maintain close and occasional contact of the two positive cases during the 48 hours » prior to testing. It goes without saying that the IPL has also asked the Knight Riders to strictly isolate their hotel rooms in Ahmedabad for three days.
This development comes almost a week after the BCCI assured all players and franchisees that it would IPL will continue in 2021 despite a deadly second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic gripping India. Hemang Amin, Interim Chief Executive Officer of BCCI, had assured all of the teams that they were « perfectly safe » in the IPL bubble.
Amin also added that « to be extra vigilant » the IPL included the testing process initially every five days to every two days in the second leg of the tournament, during which the teams moved from Chennai and Mumbai to Ahmedabad and Delhi (the games started in these latter locations on April 26). On Monday, according to the IPL, Chakravarthy and Warrier were « found positive in the third round of testing for the past four days. » The Knight Riders are currently seventh on the points table after winning just two of their first seven games . After the Royal Challengers competition, which was due to take place tonight, the Knight Riders were due to play against the Delhi Capitals on May 8th.
The Capitals were also their opponent when they last played on April 29th. The Capitals, who played the Punjab Kings on Sunday night, were tested the day after that Knight Riders competition, with all coming out clear.
Ref: https://www.espncricinfo.com
