The 2020 season of Indian Premier League (IPL) received a massive blow on Friday (August 28) after the reports of ten members of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) group being tested positive for COVID-19 broke out.
The list of 10 staffers that had contracted the virus included two Indian players as well. According to the Times of India, the infected player has been identified as fast bowler Deepak Chahar. Apart from Chahar, the first-class cricketer Ruturaj Gaikwad has also been tested positive for coronavirus.
The latest development has also forced the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to put the schedule announcement of the IPL 2020 on hold.
All the franchises had to undergo the novel coronavirus test before they could head on to the field for the training and practice camp. While all the seven franchises passed the test with flying colours, the Super Kings suffered a big setback.
“Adequate measures are in place to tackle the situation, and there is no immediate threat to the tournament. But the announcement of fixtures has been delayed because of this development,” said a BCCI source.
On top of that, the BCCI had also expressed its concern over CSK’s decision to hold a camp before departing to UAE. The apex Indian board had even asked the management to cancel it considering the situation of COVID-19 in the country.
“Senior BCCI officials had cautioned the CSK management about the risks of holding such a camp in India,” the BCCI source added.
The troubles for CSK camp seems to be snowballing as in another development, their premier batsman Suresh Raina has returned to India citing personal reasons. Raina would not be available for the entire season of IPL 2020.
