10 groundstaff, 6 Event Managers contract Covid, Hyderabad-Indore considered replacement for Mumbai

The Indian Premier League Governing Council is looking at different avenues for hosting the tournament as the Covid-19 cases rise in India, especially in Maharashtra. With Mumbai hosting the first leg, there are chances that the IPL GC might decide to shift the matches to Hyderabad or Indore. As of April 2, the Maharashtra capital has recorded the highest ever spike in the Covid-19 cases in the last 12 months.

Two more groundsmen and six event managers were added to the tally of eight covid positive cases from yesterday. In the midst of such frenzy, close sources told news agency PTI that BCCI are confident to host the tournament considering it will be done under closed doors.

With Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray saying, "Today, I am giving an indication for a complete lockdown, but not announcing it formally,” the Mumbai Cricket Association, Board of control for Cricket in India and IPL GC are all on their toes.

"If things do not improve visibly in a couple of days and if no other solution is found, we will have to announce another lockdown like it is being done globally," Thackeray had added.

ESPNCricinfo though reported that IPL franchises have no information regarding shifting of the venues as four sides Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab kings have assembled at different grounds in Mumbai and quarantined in exclusive accommodations.

But with the number of cases piling up and India recording almost 90,000 ( 89,129) positive cases in a day with nearly half of them being reported from Maharashtra and Mumbai seeing the highest spike (8832) in a year, the going is gonna get tough from here on. Also, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu two other host states are among the five worst hit in India.

Now that Axar Patel has tested positive and so have 10 groundsmen at the Wankhede Stadium, the situation is looking grimmer than ever before.

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Breaking: Delhi Capitals' Axar Patel tests Covid positive ahead of IPL 2021

Delhi Capitals and India spin bowling star Axar Patel has tested positive for novel coronavirus sending ripples of threat all across the Indian Premier League, merely a week ahead of its start. News agency ANI reported the news quoting a DC source, “Unfortunately Axar has tested positive for Covid. He is isolating and all protocols are being followed.” Axar, 27, is the second player to test positive for Covid-19 after KKR’s Nitish Rana, who after returning the second test as negative has joined the team bubble once again. With almost eight groundsmen testing positive for the dreaded virus only a day ago in Mumbai, this is the second major case of Covid-19 relating to IPL. Patel was not with the Indian Cricket team during the ODIs and joined the DC bubble on 28th March after being at home. With the IPL clause regarding Covid-19 maintaining that a person testing positive has to remain isolated for 10 days since the day of the results, Axar would now be remaining away from action for the next days and is likely to miss the first game of DC. Being an important member of the franchise, it is going to be a tough pill to swallow for the Delhi side and it might get tougher if the virus would have spread in the bubble.

Hardik Pandya hasn't lost his sheen as an all-rounder despite string of injuries: Shane Bond

One of the finest all-rounders of the modern generation, Hardik Pandya since making his comeback following a serious back injury has settled into the team quite nicely. While the return has been fruitful for Pandya and his team, but his all-round exploits haven’t been quite the same. All through the Australia series and the England series, Hardik didn’t bowl much and played primarily as a batsman. In the ODI series in Australia, Hardik did bowl a few overs but given the seriousness of his injury, he wasn’t rushed. Hardik bowled in all the 5 T20I matches but was taken off the workload in the first two ODIs. Captain Virat Kohli stated after the first ODI that the think tank needs to manage Hardik’s workload as they want him to be fit as an all-rounder during the ICC World Test Championship final in England. Mumbai Indians bowling coach Shane Bond feels that despite a string of injuries, Hardik Pandya hasn’t lost sheen as an all-rounder and will be a vital cog for the 5-time champions in the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League. “Our aim was to get him back in the process of returning as an all-rounder for India and he is coming to this IPL having done so against England,” Bond was quoted as saying by the Times of India. Hardik has been a sensation with the bat and Bond feels that his exploits with the bat have made him enjoy his bowling more. “When he was picked for India, he was seen as a genuine all-rounder. He can still do both equally well, but it’s his batting that has taken the pressure off his bowling. He knows he is one of the best white-ball batsmen in the world and that has made him more comfortable with his bowling.” “There was a point when I felt he was diving into the crease a little bit too much. He was also mindful of that and got the alignment a little straight and it worked.” Despite being one of the most prominent all-rounders in the Mumbai Indians set-up, Shane Bond feels that his workload needs to be managed well. “I understand that he is a brilliant fourth-pacer option batting at No. 7 in Tests, but I would think he is better off bowling 10 overs a day even when he is playing red-ball cricket, instead of 15-16. Ben Stokes, too, is doing the same,” Bond further added.

WI vs SL | 2nd Test: Karunaratne, Thirimanne keep Windies at bay; Test series ends without a result

Sri Lankan openers showed grit and determination to stop West Indies from claiming 10 wickets on the last day and seal the series. The pair of experienced batsmen Lahiru Thirimanne and skipper Dimuth Karunaratne set out a plan and churned out an invaluable partnership to lower the morale of Kraigg Brathwaite’s men who felt that they were on top at the end of day four. The opening wicket added 101 runs and delayed any prospect of a breakthrough by the 39th over. Even when Thirimanne was caught brilliantly at the slips by Rakheem Cornwall off Alzarri Joseph, the Sri Lankans didn’t let the pressure build as the new man in Oshada Fernando kept rotating the strikes after blocking balls en masse. By the time the skipper was dismissed by Kyle Mayers, Sri Lanka had consolidated their position, scoring just 146 in the chase of 377, but essentially blocking out almost 56 overs off the 80 that they were supposed to play (minus the extra hour of play). The pitch too played its part in confirmation of the draw as it did not break and remained a good slow batting track. Coupled with the inclement weather and injury to Shanon Gabriel, the Windies were unable to push on with the attack and Dinesh Chandimal and Oshada remained unbeaten at 10 and 66 respectively to see the islanders to a comfortable draw. Earlier Windies were late at declaring their second innings at 280-4 and with rain disturbing the match throughout, the Sri Lankans, even after getting out for 258 in the first innings in response to Windies’ 354, were able to save the game and draw the series. Brathwaite, who scored a century in the first innings and 85 in the second was adjudged Man of the Match. Suranga Lakmal, who is on a path to rediscover himself with fierce fast bowling was adjudged Man of the Series for taking 11 crucial wickets at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.

IPL 2021: Eight groundstaff members test positive for COVID-19 at the Wankhede Stadium

Eight ground staff members at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai has tested positive for COVID-19 following the tests conducted ahead of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League. As per the original schedule of the cash-rich league, the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will host 10 league games in the tournament from 10th to 25th April. As per reports in the Sportstar, it is learnt that all the 19 ground staff members at the Wankhede Stadium had to undergo RT-PCR tests over the course of the last week. Three of them were already tested positive when the tests were conducted on 26th March. In the new test conducted on 1st April, five of them returned positive again. With the IPL slated to begin barely in a week’s time, this development might push the tournament in jeopardy. The opening encounter of the 14th season of the IPL will be played between the five-time champions Mumbai Indians and the Royal Challengers Bangalore on 9th April. Further reports suggest that the Mumbai Cricket Association may consider bringing in groundstaff from two of their other facilities- the Sharad Pawar Academy at the Bandra-Kurla Complex and Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana at the Kandivali to cover for the ground staff who has contracted COVID.