IPL 2021 – Big blow for IPL in Mumbai: Holding 1st leg of IPL 2021 in Mumbai is getting doubtful by the day. According to information coming in from MCA, 8 ground staff members at the Wankhede Stadium have tested COVID-19 positive just few days before Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals match.
The Wankhede is scheduled to host 10 league games from April 10 to 25.
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IPL 2021: Big blow for IPL in Mumbai, 8 ground staff members test positive few days before CSK vs DC match
A senior MCA official confirmed the development to Insidesport.co on condition of anonymity adding that RT-PCR were tests conducted on all 19 groundsmen on March 26 and April 1. “Yes, 3 tested positive on March 26 & five more on April 1. We have isolated them quickly and we have called for their replacements as well. We are doing everything possible to avert a major outbreak.”
The development comes as a major blow to BCCI’s plan to stick to Mumbai as an IPL venue.
19 groundstaff members at the Wankhede Stadium underwent RT-PCR tests over the last week. While three were confirmed to have contracted the virus during the tests conducted on March 26, five more reports from the tests conducted on April 1 returned positive on Friday.
The development comes barely a week before the IPL 2021 is scheduled to begin with defending champion Mumbai Indians scheduled to take on Royal Challangers Bangalore in Chennai on April 9.
The Mumbai Cricket Association may bring in its groundstaff from its other two facilities – the Sharad Pawar Academy at Bandra-Kurla Complex and Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana at Kandivali – to fill in for the infected personnel. However, it will be interesting to see if the BCCI is forced to rethink its decision to stick to Mumbai as a venue for the IPL.
IPL 2021: Big blow for IPL in Mumbai, 8 ground staff members test positive few days before CSK vs DC match
IPL 2021 – BCCI ‘Concerned’ as Covid-19 grows: Earlier on Friday InsideSport.co had reported that amid the reports of the second wave of Covid-19 impacting and affecting the entire country, concerns within the BCCI currently preparing for IPL 2021 are also growing. The concerns are more as the situation in Mumbai, the venue for the first phase of IPL 2021 is getting worse by the day – especially now they will grow manifolds as 8 members of the ground-staff at the stadium has got infected by the virus.
“To say that we are not concerned will not be correct. Yes, there are concerns and we are hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. This is something beyond our control and we can do nothing to check the number of cases. If there is a lockdown, we have to deal with the situation as it comes.” a BCCI official told Insidesport.co on Friday on the condition of anonymity.
Also Read: IPL 2021: CSK ‘completely shocked’ with Josh Hazlewood’s last-minute pull-out
IPL 2021: Teams also very concerned about the situation: Camps for all eight teams featuring in the 2021 IPL season are currently in full swing but there are some serious concerns among those who are camping in Mumbai and Maharashtra. One such team is Chennai Super Kings (CSK) which was among the first IPL teams to start their camp in Mumbai.
CSK is currently putting up at Oberoi Trident Hotel in Mumbai and are concerned about the situation and keeping a close eye on the developments.
“We are keeping a close eye on the situation. We are strictly abiding by BCCI and Health Ministry guidelines. We are concerned and it’s natural but we are not worried as things are beyond our control. There is no point in worrying about things that are beyond your control. Our camp is underway. The team and camp are unaffected by any possibility of lockdown. But the future is beyond our control,” CSK CEO Kashi Viswanathan told Insidesport.co.
As Covid-19 cases continue to surge, Maharashtra Government has imposed a 12-hour night curfew imposed in Pune from tomorrow as Maharashtra reported its highest ever addition of Covid-19 cases in a single day on Thursday. The state recorded over 43k cases and 249 deaths in the past 24 hrs.
IPL 2021 starts on April 9 and the first match between CSK & DC is slated in Mumbai on April 10 – with situation getting out of hand, BCCI may decide to shift matches out of Mumbai.
This article is auto-generated by Algorithm Source: www.insidesport.co
