The much-anticipated fourteenth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to begin on Friday (April 9) in Chennai. All the sides have buckled up to go on a roller coaster ride, but before that, some franchises will have to face difficulty as few players will miss their teams’ first game.
This is because a handful of players have tested positive for Covid-19 and are under self-isolation. Similarly, some have arrived only earlier this week in India after finishing their national duties. Therefore, they have to follow the mandatory seven-day quarantine procedure before joining their team’s bubble.
The tournament’s opener will be played between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Both the teams are expected to miss the services of few players, in the first game.
Let’s have a look at the list of players who might miss at least the opening game of their respective franchise:
Royal Challengers Bangalore
RCB leg-spinner Adam Zampa is set to remain absent in the opening game because of his marriage. Similarly, New Zealander Finn Allen hasn’t yet completed his mandatory quarantine period as he was involved in the T20I match against Bangladesh, which took place on April 1 in Auckland.
RCB all-rounder Daniel Sams is also ineligible for selection because he is currently serving the isolation period after testing positive for novel coronavirus on April 7.
Mumbai Indians
Quinton de Kock and Adam Milne, the two overseas players for the reigning champions, who arrived this week, are currently serving the 7-day quarantine. Hence, they might not make it to the playing XI for the opening game.
Chennai Super Kings
CSK pacer Lungi Ngidi might not be available for their first game against Delhi Capitals (DC) on April 10 because of the seven-day quarantine. Ngidi was a part of the Proteas side that played the recently concluded ODI series against Pakistan. The right-armer had played the first two fixtures.
Delhi Capitals
DC’s fast-bowling duo of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje is set to miss out on the game against CSK as they arrived in India on April 6. Both the bowlers played a huge role last year when DC made it to their inaugural finals.
Apart from the fast-bowling pair, left-arm spinner Axar Patel might also miss the match against CSK. He had tested positive for COVID-19 on March 28.
Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals (RR) pace sensation Jofra Archer is expected to remain absent for the first four games. In the last week of March, Archer underwent surgery on his finger, and he would return following two weeks of rehabilitation before a consultant reviews him. The first four fixtures of Royals are scheduled to be played on April 12, 15, 19 and 22.
