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Updated April 3rd, 2021 at 11:19 IST

Franchises tightening checks after groundsmen test positive for COVID-19 ahead of IPL 2021

With less than a week to go when the IPL 2021 begins, 8 ground staff of the Wankhede stadium tested positive for COVID-19, this has worried IPL franchises

Reported by: Ujjwal Samrat
@IPL/Twitter/PTI/Representative Image
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The continuous spike of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra has started showing its effect in the upcoming IPL 2021. With less than a week to go when the IPL 2021 begins, 8 ground staff of the Wankhede stadium tested positive for coronavirus. It was due to the COVID-19 pandemic that IPL 2020 was organised in the UAE. The pandemic forced the cricketing world to introduce the concept of bio-bubble for players and the team management before the start of any tournament. Therefore the players and team management are of IPL are already serving their quarantine before they join their respective camp. However, the groundsmen generally travel through local trains and public vehicles making them more vulnerable to the virus. 

Following this, the IPL franchises have started feeling a little wary and are keeping fingers crossed with the 14th edition of the league set to get underway from April 9. News agency ANI quoted an official of one of the franchises who said that the recent COVID cases of the ground's men do change the situation and call for stricter protocols. "You do get a little concerned when you hear such things days before the start of the tournament. We have all been following protocols to the core, but obviously, when such a news come in, it makes us a little wary. We are looking at keeping things as tight as possible. Have to be on our guard," the official said.

Another franchise official called this incident a 'wake-up call' before heading into the tournament as there are times people get a little comfortable after going inside the bio-bubble. This will ensure the players and officials follow protocols even more strictly. 

Wankhede Stadium is set to host 10 IPL games this season from April 10-25. The first match at the Mumbai stadium is slated to be played on April 10 between Rishabh Pant-led side Delhi and MS Dhoni-led side Chennai. Four franchises- Delhi, Chennai, Rajasthan, and Punjab have set up their base in Mumbai as of now. 

'Mumbai- major novel coronavirus hotspot'

On Friday, Maharashtra recorded its highest single-day spike of COVID-19 cases with 47,827 persons testing positive for the novel coronavirus. This propelled the state's COVID-19 tally to 29,04,076. With Mumbai recording 8832 cases in the day, it remains a major novel coronavirus hotspot in the state. Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray on April 2 hinted that the state government might impose stricter curbs in a couple of days to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. Elaborating on the current COVID-19 situation grappling the state, he warned that there could be a shortage of healthcare infrastructure in the next 15-20 days if the number of cases keeps on increasing.

 

(Image Credits: @IPL/Twitter/PTI/Representative Image)

(With Inputs: ANI)

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Published April 3rd, 2021 at 11:19 IST

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