IPL 2021 set to move Mumbai after bio-bubble breach in Delhi & Ahmedabad

With increasing COVID cases BCCI to monitor situation

There has been no official confirmation on the fate of the ongoing Indian Premier League but it is understood that two KKR players and three CSK members testing positive has brought the upcoming future of the ongoing edition in serious jeopardy. Understanding that panic has crept in all the franchises, it is learnt that BCCI is monitoring the situation as of now and the franchises will be updated on the fate of the tournament in due course of time. The news was circulated to all the IPL franchises through internal mail. "In the light of recent developments that have happened over last 24 hours, please find below a media release that is being issued. We will keep monitoring the situation and provide further details and updates," IPL CEO Hemang Amin wrote to the franchises. It also included an attachment of the press statement on the KKR players who tested positive earlier in the day. Meanwhile, a few members among the CSK officials have tested positive including Lakshimpathy Balaji and the CEO of the yellow army. As per reports in the Cricbuzz, the Chennai Super Kings officials have told them that BCCI will make an announcement on the status of their team members. Meanwhile, it puts a certain doubt on tomorrow’s game between the Mumbai Indians and the Sunrisers Hyderabad which is slated to be played in Delhi. Balaji who was seen in the CSK dugout have returned positive reports and with several MI players seen mingling with the CSK players during their match in Delhi, it remains to be seen whether the match goes on as per schedule. Cricbuzz further states that there was letters written to the BCCI over these important issues. The match between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Royal Challengers Bangalore had to be rescheduled after Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier tested COVID positive. The whole squad has been put under hard quarantine and only if everyone tests negative after five days, KKR can go on with their remaining matches. It must be noted that the Punjab Kings and the Royal Challengers Bangalore is scheduled to practice at the Gujarat College Ground while the Delhi Capitals is slated to train at the Motera in Ahmedabad. As per further reports in Cricbuzz, a meeting should be conducted in the evening time to decide on the future of the KKR-RCB match. Meanwhile, a DDCA official also denied reports of any of the groundsmen who were present at work yesterday having tested positive.

IPL 2021 | Mustafizur and Shakib might have to return early from IPL

Bangladesh players Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman who are plying their trade in the ongoing IPL might have to return home earlier than planned due to the stringent quarantine rules imposed by the health ministry. The news was confirmed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board Chief Nizamuddin Chowdhury on Monday. The new quarantine rules in place which came into effect from 1st May states that any foreign travellers coming from India or South Africa have to undergo a 14 day isolation period in order to resume their duties inside the country. If BCB wants any exemption of the rules then they need to get special permission from the Directorate General of Health Services. The BCB had earlier managed to reduce the quarantine rules for their foreign coaching staff and cricketers. However, with the second wave of COVID-19 creating a ruckus especially all over India, it is highly unlikely that relaxation will be there for people coming from either India or South Africa. The Bangladesh national team who is currently in Sri Lanka will return anytime soon and none of their players will have to follow the same quarantine rules. BCB chief Chowdhury further added that he had asked Shakib and Mustafizur about their plans for the next fifteen days. "We have asked them (Shakib and Mustafizur) to let us know what is their plan for the next 15 days while we have also asked the health ministry to know what kind of quarantine protocol the two players will need to follow,'' BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz on Monday. Shakib and Mustafizur had earlier planned to leave India by 19th May and join the limited-overs team after completing a three day quarantine period. However, with India recording over 3,50,000 cases every day, strict rules have been put into place for people coming from India. "If the health ministry suggests that they will have to follow seven or 14 days quarantine, they will have to return earlier than scheduled from IPL. But before that, we have to know what rules will be in place for them. We are bound by the Bangladesh Government rules, and will take decisions according to the guideline provided by the government,” Chowdhury further added.

IPL 2021 | Tournament to continue as of now, KKR squad in hard quarantine for five days

The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League will continue as of now with the defending champions Mumbai Indians locking horns against the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday (3 May). The development comes after two KKR players Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, three staff members of CSK which includes Lakshmipathi Balaji, the CEO of the franchise and a bus driver has also tested positive for the novel Coronavirus. However, their result in the rapid antigen test turned negative which makes the situation a little dicier. In a recent podcast by Boria Majumder, he clarified the fact that there was no bubble breach as far as the Kolkata Knight Riders are concerned and will be under hard quarantine for the next five days and if all the tests come out negative then only the match against RCB might be rescheduled on 7th May. Hard quarantine means none of the KKR players can go outside their rooms and will be served food in disposable cutleries which will be placed outside their respective rooms. As far as CSK is concerned, the situation can go out of control if the RT-PCR tests of the three aforementioned members come out positive. Balaji was present in the dugout and if his RT-PCR test comes out positive, it means that he might have exposed the virus to quite a few. However, if the results come out negative, the situation should be under control as told by Boria Majumder in his podcast. He also added the fact that none of the groundstaff members who were there yesterday for the match duties has tested positive after several media outlets reported that five to seven DDCA groundsmen who were present for match duties yesterday have tested positive.

IPL 2021: KL Rahul undergoes surgery for appendicitis, can join PBKS bubble back after quarantine

Punjab Kings regular captain KL Rahul has undergone a successful surgery for appendicitis on Monday. As per reports in ESPN Cricinfo, it is learnt that Rahul will be eligible to join the Punjab Kings bio-bubble once he completes the required quarantine period. Rahul was flown to Mumbai in a chartered flight where he underwent laparoscopic appendectomy which is a minimally invasive surgery. The report further suggests that the doctors have told the Punjab Kings that Rahul will be able to start his usual activities after a week’s rest. The Punjab Kings will now have to consult with the IPL committee to determine how long Rahul need to remain in quarantine and what more protocols need to be followed in order to bring back Rahul to the scheme of things. In the lead-up to the match against the Delhi Capitals in Ahmedabad, the Punjab Kings released a statement that mentioned that Rahul has been ruled out of the game after suffering acute appendicitis. It was learnt that Rahul complained of severe abdomen pain on Saturday and had to be rushed to the hospital for a surgery. Rahul’s last appearance came against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. He scored an unbeaten 91 and played a stellar role in Punjab’s third victory of the season. Rahul is currently the second-highest run-scorer in the competition just behind Shikhar Dhawan. Had he been able to play the previous game, he might well have held onto his Orange Cap. In Rahul’s absence, Mayank Agarwal led the Punjab Kings and scored a sensational 99 to begin his captaincy duties. However, his knock was not enough to save Punjab from the blushes as they lost by 7 wickets. Today’s encounter between RCB and KKR had to be rescheduled after two KKR players Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier tested positive for COVID-19. It remains to be seen whether the tournament goes on as per schedule.