Delhi Capitals skipper Shreyas Iyer has said that the time away from the game due to coronavirus-induced lockdown made every player realise as to how much they really love the game.
Iyer would be leading the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, which is slated to commence from September 19 in the UAE.
The IPL 2020 will be played from September 19-November 10 in the UAE across three venues -- Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.
"It wasn't easy to get into the groove, to be honest. And the humidity made things worse. But I'd pick this over the hotel's air-conditioning any day. Two sessions in, I started finding my rhythm back, slowly but surely. You could see the intensity in the nets and the outfield. The batters tonked the ball all over the park, the fast bowlers steamed in, the spinners got their trick deliveries out. It would be safe to say it was a case of 'Absence makes the heart fonder' for all of us. All this time away from the game only made us realise just how much we love it," the official website of Delhi Capitals quoted Iyer as saying
All players and team personnel are required to undergo a six-day quarantine period after landing in the UAE and everyone needs to be tested for COVID-19 thrice.
Once, they all test negative for COVID-19, the players can start training in the UAE with their teammates.
Talking about his six-day quarantine in UAE, Iyer said: "We were locked in our rooms for a week. I kept myself occupied with room workouts, as Rajini, our strength and conditioning coach monitored me over a video call. In the evenings, I turned to Netflix. The only couple of times I stepped out was when I had to get my mandatory COVID19 tests done. And believe me, it was enough of an occasion for me to spritz on some perfume before stepping out of my room."
"Only to be back in less than 10 minutes, with watery eyes! But we've had a few tests ever since we landed, and frankly, everyone's used to it now. Our team manager keeps telling us that waiting for the test results to come in the following morning is always anxiety-filled, much like waiting for Board examination results," he added.
Mumbai Indians will lock horns with Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2020 opener on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.
Delhi Capitals will face Kings XI Punjab in their opening match of the tournament on September 20.
( With inputs from ANI )
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