After groundstaff at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium tested positive for coronavirus, franchises are reportedly considering tighter protocols.
Groundstaff at the Wankhede Stadium have tested positive for coronavirus with seven days before the high-octane Indian Premier League match between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals. With the number of cases in Maharashtra on the rise, IPL franchises are wary and crossing their fingers ahead of the 14th edition of the season, which kicks off on April 9. An official from one of the franchises, currently based in Mumbai, told ANI that it does change the situation and calls for tighter protocols.
“When you learn certain stuff days before the tournament, it makes you a little anxious. We’ve all been following procedures to the letter, but when news like this comes in, it makes us all a little anxious. We want to hold it as secure as possible. We must maintain vigilance “According to the official,
Another franchise official said that it served as a wake-up call for those entering the tournament. “This might potentially serve as a wake-up call ahead of the tournament’s start. After entering the bubble, we often get a little too relaxed. However, this will ensure that we obey all protocol and that nothing goes wrong “According to the official,
From April 10 to April 25, Wankhede will host ten IPL games. The Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings will play the first match at the Mumbai stadium on April 10.
At the moment, Mumbai is home to four franchises: the Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, and Rajasthan Royals.
On Friday, Maharashtra recorded 47,827 new COVID-19 cases and 202 deaths, with Mumbai seeing the highest single-day increase of 8,832 new cases ever. Mumbai had reported more than 8,500 cases for the second day in a row.
After testing positive for coronavirus on March 22, Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Nitish Rana tested negative on Thursday. Following self-isolation following the positive outcome, he underwent a COVID-19 test on Thursday, which came back negative. He’ll begin training soon in preparation for the team’s first game on April 11 against the SunRisers Hyderabad.
KKR released a statement in response to the turn of events, which read: “On March 21, Nitish Rana checked into the KKR team hotel in Mumbai with a negative COVID storey from the previous day. He was screened on March 22 during his quarantine, as per IPL protocol, and the results showed that he was positive. Since then, he has had no symptoms and is completely asymptomatic. He isolated himself again, as per IPL protocol, and was checked today. We are relieved to hear that he has tested negative for the disease. We expect him to join the team in training soon and be completely fit for the start of the season.”
According to the BCCI SOP, a player who tests positive must isolate for a minimum of 10 days outside the bio-secure setting, beginning on the first day of symptoms or the date of collection of the sample that resulted in a positive RT-PCR record, whichever comes first.
“During the 10-day isolation period, the individual must rest and refrain from exercising. The case should be monitored by the team doctor on a regular basis. If the individual’s symptoms escalate during isolation, he or she must be admitted to the hospital right away “The SOP specifies.