Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and all the other Chennai Super Kings (CSK) players, except for the Covid-19-affected duo of Deepak Chahar and Ruturaj Gaikwad, finally hit the networks on Friday after passing a third round of testing of the virus in Dubai.
With Deepak and Ruturaj testing positive last week along with 11 members of the CSK contingent, the team was forced to delay their training plan after completing the six-day quarantine, including three tests, upon arrival on August 21.
The coronavirus-free players tested negative in Thursday’s additional round of testing, clearing the way to begin training. (Total IPL Coverage 2020)
“All the others, except the 13, tested negative for the third time. Those who tested positive will only be tested after the isolation period (two weeks) is over, ”CSK Executive Director KS Viswanathan told PTI.
The results were a great relief for the franchise, which was hit by 13 positive cases last week. The team has also suffered a setback with the retirement of its older players, Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh, for personal reasons.
While Raina chose not to participate last week, Harbhajan announced her retirement on Friday.
The IPL will begin on September 19 and will be played in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.
Deepak and Ruturaj, along with 11 contingent staff members, will be screened twice at the end of next week when their 14-day isolation period ends. They must come back with two negative tests before they are allowed to train.
Read also | CSK reacts after Harbhajan Singh withdraws from IPL 2020
Deepak is the first team starter in this lineup, while Ruturaj is being groomed for the top spot in place of veteran Suresh Raina, who left the tournament for personal reasons and is unlikely to return.
The fact that CSK begins their training is good news for the IPL governing council, as it means that their first-round clash against the Mumbai Indians on September 19 “is well underway”, contrary to some. media speculation.
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