BCCI delays announcing IPL 2020 schedule after members from CSK test COVID-19 positive

Ahead of IPL 2020, players were supposed to undergo a mandatory quarantine period after touching the land of UAE as per BCCI’s strict safety protocols. Right after this period got over for the team, they were stepping ahead to jump in the fields.

However, during the 2nd round of COVID-19 testing, CSK suffered a huge blow. At least 10 members of their contingent tested positive for the virus, and there was a panic in the lot.

In the same light, the BCCI has delayed the announcement of the IPL 2020 schedule, which was supposed to be on the table somewhere this time. After multiple CSK members tested positive, the fixtures and the entire schedule will come later now. Also, there is no threat to the league as of now.

“Adequate measures are in place to tackle the situation, and there is no immediate threat to the tournament. But the announcement of fixtures has been delayed because of this development,” a top BCCI official said to The Times of India.

CSK’s Chennai training camp under question

CSK may stand under questions of BCCI as it was the only team that conducted a preparatory camp of 5 days at their home stadium in Chennai before heading for UAE, despite BCCI expressing great concerns over it back then.

However, putting speculations to rest, the CSK management told that the majority of their players are in their early thirties and are healthy enough to deal with any difficulty on their way. All the affected people are currently stable and under the care of the IPL medical team.

“There are many players who were coming from a long lay-off. The likes of MS Dhoni, Deepak Chahar, Ambati Rayudu and Suresh Raina had played very little cricket even before the lockdown in March. That’s why CSK insisted on having the camp, to have a few extra days under their belt,” the source added.

CSK members are not looking Chennai camp as a mistake and mulling over the thought that any exposure at the airport or outside world could have got them to contract the virus. The franchise won’t even ask BCCI to delay the tournament, given no one from the contingent tests positive further.