Axar Patel tests Covid-19 positive
Patel is the second IPL player to have returned a positive report after Nitish Rana.
New Delhi: Delhi Capitals’ and India all-rounder Axar Patel has tested positive for Covid-19 and kept in isolation, the IPL franchise said on Saturday.
Patel is the second IPL player to have returned a positive report after Nitish Rana. The left-handed Kolkata Knight Riders batsman had initially tested positive for Covid-19 but later returned a negative report.
“Delhi Capitals all-rounder Axar Patel has tested positive for Covid-19. He had checked into the team hotel in Mumbai on March 28, 2021, with a negative report. His report from the second Covid test, came positive,” the franchise said in a statement.
“He is currently in isolation at a designated medical care facility. The Delhi Capitals medical team is in constant touch with Axar and ensuring his safety and well-being. We wish him a speedy recovery.”
Axar recently got 27 wickets in three Tests in his debut series against England.
Meanwhile, a positive case has also emerged from Chennai Super Kings’ media content team. The member isn’t a part of the bio-bubble. The team’s training schedule remains unaffected.
Massive surge in Mumbai
In another setback of sorts, the BCCI remains hopeful of conducting the scheduled IPL matches in Mumbai from April 10-25 despite a massive surge in Covid-19 cases in the city and 10 members of the Wankhede Stadium staff testing positive for the deadly virus.
Indore and Hyderabad have been kept as stand-by venues for the IPL in case the Covid situation spirals out of control. Mumbai is scheduled to host 10 games of the cash-rich league.
With an excess of 47,000 cases on Friday, Maharashtra is looking at a potential situation of a mini-lockdown. Of equal concern to the organizers is the number of ground staff at the Wankhede going up from 8 to 10 between Friday evening and Saturday morning.
If that wasn’t enough, around six members of the event management team have also tested positive for Covid-19 and have been sent to isolation.
“Yes, it was 8 positive cases yesterday (Friday) as far as ground-staff are concerned. Today two more positive cases have emerged and all 10 have been sent back home and are isolated.
“We are bringing fresh ground-staff from the Mumbai CA ground in Kandivali for preparations. Also, 6 to 7 event management staff hired by BCCI have also tested positive,” a senior Mumbai CA official said.
When a senior BCCI office-bearer was asked about the situation, he admitted that BCCI is indeed concerned.
“Look, even if there is a lockdown, the teams are in bio-bubble and also it’s a closed-door event. So we are still confident that IPL games in Mumbai will be held as per schedule with Delhi Capitals playing Chennai Super Kings on April 10 on the second day of the tournament.
“But Hyderabad and Indore are there on standby in case the situation goes out of hand,” the office-bearer said.
As of now, none of the teams currently in Mumbai — Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings — have access to Wankhede.
“Delhi Capitals ad Punjab Kings for example are taking turns to train at the Brabourne Stadium and Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) ground. KKR is training in Navi Mumbai at the DY Patil before they leave for Chennai,” the official informed.
It is expected that BCCI’s medical unit will enhance the testing rate due to the surge of cases in the state.
The event management and operations of IPL till last year were handled by the IMG but from this year, the board is handling the event on its own.
“We have enough backup staff to handle as we had factored in that the situation in Mumbai is grim at the moment. But yes, we are closely monitoring the situation,” the official added.
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