On the day, the BCCI finally announced the schedule for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Delhi Capitals’ Assistant physio tested positive for COVID-19. The franchise confirmed the news through a media release on Sunday (September 6).
Delhi Capitals has now become the third IPL side to report positive COVID-19 case. The first team was Rajasthan Royals. Their fielding coach Dishant Yagnik was tested positive while all the teams were in India. Chennai Super Kings then reported as many as 13 positive cases around a week ago. Out of those 13, two were players – Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Chahar.
Due to the positive cases, CSK had to extend their quarantine period and they were able to start their training on last Friday, more than a week after all the teams started their respective training. But Delhi Capitals squad is unlikely to be quarantined as the franchise confirmed that the physio had been in quarantine and not in contact with any other member of the team.
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He had traveled independently to UAE earlier this week and tested negative in the first two tests, conducted on days 1 and 3 respectively after arrival. The third RT-PCR test, conducted on Day 6, has returned a positive result.
“He was isolated immediately, and is currently at the IPL Isolation Facility in Dubai for the next 14 days, at the end of which he will have to produce two negative reports for him to be able to join the Delhi Capitals squad. The franchise’s medical team is in constant touch with him, and wishes him a speedy recovery,” the release stated.
As per the tournament’s Standard Operating Procedure, other squad members will be tested on the fifth day of every week throughout the tournament. Delhi Capitals will open their IPL campaign against Kings XI Punjab on September 20, a day after the tournament starts with the mouth-watering clash between last year’s finalists Mumbai Indians and CSK.