NE SPORTS BUREAU
DUBAI, SEP 3
A member of the BCCI contingent, which is here to oversee the conduct of IPL, has tested positive for COVID-19, a league source said on Thursday.
The event is scheduled to start on September 19.
“There is one positive case in the BCCI contingent. I can’t tell you whether it’s from cricket operations team or the medical team. But testing is on and everyone else is healthy and asymptomatic,” a senior IPL official said to a news agency on conditions of anonymity.
“There is no cause for concern,” he added.
However, another source said that the person, who has tested positive, is a member of the national team’s support staff and is here to keep a tab on the centrally-contracted players.
The development comes after 13 members of the Chennai Super Kings contingent, including two players, tested positive for the dreaded virus last week. They are currently undergoing the mandatory 14-day quarantine and are said to be asymptomatic.
Rest of the teams have started training after their squad members and support staff completed the on-arrival quarantine and returned negative tests.
The IPL was moved out of India this year due to a surge in COVID-19 cases there.
The tournament will be played across three cities in the UAE – Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. It will conclude on November 10.
The BCCI is yet to unveil the full schedule of the tournament. It is learnt that the match line-up could be out by the end of this week.
Traditionally, the opening match of the event is played between the defending champions and the runners-up, which happen to be Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings respectively this year.
The tournament will be played in front of empty stands due to health safety concerns but BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has hinted that a limited number of fans could be allowed later in the league depending on the COVID-19 situation.
