COVID scare at Chennai hotel hosting Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament teams; players safe: TNCA

Around 20 staff members of a hotel in Chennai which is currently the base for three Cricket teams from Manipur, Meghalaya, and Mizoram respectively, have tested positive for Coronavirus ahead of the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. However, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association on Monday asserted that the cricketers were safe and there was nothing to panic.

'There is nothing to panic': TNCA official

"There is nothing to panic. The players and the others involved in the tournament staying at Leela Palace are safe. They are staying in a bio-secure environment," a TNCA official told news agency PTI.

Another official told ANI that the testing has been carried out on the staff and it isn't necessary that they have even come near the players. Citing the example of the IPL, he said, "As you saw during the IPL as well, the board is very strict with bubbles, and the staff serving the players had already been tested before the teams arrived and have stayed separately. Even then, if something does come up later, we will act promptly. For now, everything is under control."

Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy 2020

The teams had assembled in their bio-hubs on Saturday and are undergoing quarantine. They have returned negative from the first Coronavirus test while a second COVID test is underway. The teams will undergo another COVID test on Wednesday and after passing the tests, they can begin with practice sessions on Friday.

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Leela Palace is the second hotel in Chennai where staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 after ITC Grand Chola which emerged as a hot spot with over 80 people testing positive. The Plate group matches of the Mushtaq Ali Trophy are scheduled to begin at various venues in Chennai from January 11. Bangalore, Kolkata, Vadodara, Indore, and Mumbai have been chosen as the venues for the five Elite groups respectively.

Earlier, TNCA announced that Indian batsman Dinesh Karthik will lead Tamil Nadu in the tournament while all-rounder Vijay Shankar will be his deputy for the showpiece vent. Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad will be hosting the quarter-finals (Jan 26-27), semi-finals (Jan 29), and the finals (Jan 31) of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

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(With agency inputs)