BCCI contingent member tests positive for COVID-19, says IPL source

A member of the BCCI contingent, which is in Dubai to oversee the conduct of the Indian Premier League (IPL), has tested positive for COVID-19, a league source said on Thursday (September 3).

The event is scheduled to start on September 19.

“There is one positive case in the BCCI contingent. I can’t tell you whether its from cricket operations team or the medical team. But testing is on and everyone else is healthy and asymptomatic,” a senior IPL official said on conditions of anonymity.

“There is no cause for concern,” he added.

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.

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 in the country.

The tournament will be played across three cities in the UAE – Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi. It will conclude on November 10.

Earlier, Suresh Raina spoke up over his unexpected pullout from the IPL, saying he returned to India for his family and he might even fly back to Dubai to rejoin the Chennai Super Kings for the tournament beginning September 19.

Raina, who announced his retirement from international cricket alongside M S Dhoni on August 15, also rubbished reports claiming a rift between him and his longtime franchise.

“It was a personal decision and I had to come back for my family. There was something that needed to be addressed immediately on the home front. CSK is my family too and Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) is very important to me and this was a tough decision,” Raina told Cricbuzz.

Related news: Raina’s exit from IPL could mark the end of his tenure with CSK: Report

“There is no issue between CSK and me. Nobody will just turn their back on Rs 12.5 crore and walk away without a solid reason. I might have retired from international cricket but I’m still young and I am looking forward to playing for them in the IPL for the next 4-5 years,” he said.

Responding to reports that he was not comfortable in the strict bio-secure environment created for the IPL, Raina added: “I have a young family back home and I was concerned about the fact that if something happened to me, unka kya hoga? (what’ll happen to them?).

“My family is most important to me and I am really concerned for them during these times. I haven’t seen my kids for more than 20 days, even after coming back, since I am in quarantine.”

The violent attack on his aunt’s family in Pathankot also affected his mental state, said Raina. He lost his uncle and a cousin in the alleged case of robbery.

(With inputs from agencies)