Former and current skipper of CSK, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has reportedly undergone coronavirus test in Ranchi on Wednesday. The test is a mandatory ahead of the thirteenth season of IPL which will be held in the UAE. A team from private hospital, Gurunanak Hospital and Research Centre collected samples from Dhoni’s farmhouse on Ranchi Ring Road. The hospital pathologist Dr Pooja Sahai confirmed that the samples were taken on Wednesday with the report expected by the night. “We collected his samples today (Wednesday). The report is expected tonight,” Telegraph India quoted the doctor as saying.
Dhoni, who hasn’t played competitive cricket for over a year now, has reportedly starting practising since official confirmation on the status of IPL 13 which will start from September 19. “He came for two days a week back for practice. He looked fully fit. He has lots of cricket left in him,” the daily quoted an unnamed Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) source as saying.There have been two COVID-19 cases in IPL franchises over the past couple of weeks. While Rajasthan Royals fielding coach Dishant Yagnik has gone into isolation after testing positive for the virus on August 12, Kings XI Punjab batsman Karun Nair had also tested positive for the virus but has now completely recovered ahead of the 13th edition.
As per the protocols issued by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), two negative tests are mandatory for each player before the franchises reach UAE. Anybody who tests positive will have to be quarantined for 14 days and will have to undergo two tests post that. Only if both the tests are negative, the individuals will be allowed to leave for the UAE.As per the protocols of players reaching UAE, there will be more tests done on the players while all eight franchises will have to stay within the bio-secure bubbles. IPL 2020 will be a 53-day event, and on ten of the days, doubleheaders will be scheduled. On the day when two matches will be played in a day, the first game will start at 3.30 pm and the second match will be scheduled at 7.30 pm.All the matches will be played from September 19 to November 10 in three cities of the UAE – Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
