IPL 2020: Senior BCCI medical team member tests positive for COVID-19

New Delhi: One member of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) medical team in the UAE has tested positive for COVID-19, sources within the board have confirmed.

This development comes after 13 people tested positive for COVID-19 just a few days after reaching the UAE. It has also been revealed that two people at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru have also tested positive for the coronavirus.

Speaking to ANI, sources confirmed that a senior member of the BCCI medical team has tested positive.

“It is true, but there is no issue as he (senior medical officer) is asymptomatic and has been kept in isolation. He has not been in contact with anyone and possibly contracted it during his travel to the UAE. He is being monitored and should hopefully be fine in the next round of testing. We also have two people at the NCA who have tested positive and have been kept in isolation,” the sources said.

On August 29, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that 13 personnel including two players had tested positive for COVID-19.

However, the board did not specify as to which team has how many confirmed cases. The identity of the players and staff was also not revealed.

“13 personnel have tested positive of which 2 are players. All the affected personnel as well as their close contacts are asymptomatic and have been isolated from other team members. They are being monitored by the IPL Medical Team,” the BCCI had said in an official release.

On September 1, Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan had confirmed that there are no fresh coronavirus cases in the contingent. He also said that the ones who tested positive earlier will be tested once again only after their 14-day quarantine period is over.

Speaking to ANI, the CEO had said that there has been no fresh case and the contingent is negative except for the ones who had tested positive earlier. “Those who tested positive earlier will be tested again only after 14 days,” he had said.

The IPL 2020 is slated to be played from September 19 to November 10 in the UAE across three venues — Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.

The final match of the 2020 edition is scheduled to be played on a weekday, i.e. Tuesday, for the first time in the history of the T20 tournament.

This time, both the afternoon and evening matches will be played half-an-hour earlier than usual. (ANI)