MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings have completed their 7 days of compulsory quarantine in Dubai but a major setback has forced the team to continue to stay in their rooms till 1 September.
According to reports, a total of 10 individuals in the team’s travelling party, including a current India limited-overs bowler and several members of the team’s support staff, have tested positive for COVID-19.
“As far as we know, one of the senior-most officials of the CSK management and his wife, and at least two members of their social media team are also Covid-19 positive,” a senior IPL source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
According to ESPNCricinfo, the entire CSK travelling party will now have to undergo a fourth COVID-19 test in their hotel rooms to fully understand the spread of the virus in the camp.
The IPL is slated to get underway on 19 September with Chennai Super Kings expected to play Mumbai Indians in the opener. However, the schedule has not yet been announced by the BCCI.
CSK were the only IPL team to train in India before departing for the UAE with most of their Indian players joining MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina in the camp in Chennai on 14 August. The team landed in Dubai on 21 August and had to undergo 3 COVID tests while in quarantine in their rooms and were supposed to start training today. However, this new development has seen the team management decide to continue their quarantine period till 1 September with the entire travelling party undergoing another COVID-19 test before they start practice again.
The team has not yet made an official comment.
IPL’s COVID Guidelines
IPL’s COVID guidelines include a 6-test process for every individual who is part of the season. They must undergo 2 tests before departing for the UAE and then another PCR test at the airport they land on. Following this, they enter a 7-day quarantine in their hotels where they will be tested on the first, the third and the fifth days and only once they test negative all 6 times can they enter the bio-secure bubble in which they will remain for the rest of the tournament.
However, with 10 members of CSK’s contingent now testing positive, it does not mean the season is over for the team. According to the IPL’s COVID guidelines, everyone who tests positive goes into a 14-day quarantine at a separate location, if they are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. Upon the completion of the two weeks, they must test negative in two tests conducted 24 hours apart after which they can once again join their teams.
For players, there is a separate guideline for them to undergo a compulsory cardiac screening before starting their training.
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