CSK given permission to train in Chennai before IPL 2020 in UAE
The Indian players in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squad have been given permission by the Government of Tamil Nadu to practice in a training camp in the MA Chidambaram stadium before the team leaves for UAE to play the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
IPL 2020 is set to begin from the 19th of September in the UAE and the Indian players, barring a few, have been immensely short of practice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hence, the training camp will serve as a great opportunity for CSK players to get back in the groove before the tournament begins.
Players like MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, etc. will arrive in Chennai one day before the training camp, i.e., on 14th of August, via chartered planes and will be allowed to only go to the hotel and to the ground for training. The CSK players will be leaving for Dubai on August 21.
"The players will not have to undergo a two-week quarantine period once they are in Chennai. They will be tested two days prior to coming to Chennai and provided they are Covid-negative, they will be flown in," sources close to the development told TOI.
The CSK franchise has promised that all protocols will be maintained: sources
The CSK players will be tested twice while their stay for the training camp and the CSK players will be allowed to go to Dubai only if they test negative for coronavirus.
This training camp will be important for the CSK players as it will help them get a clearer idea of the team combination that they can go with and will help them have a look at many new young entrants into the CSK squad.
"The franchise has promised that all the protocols will be maintained and the decision-makers understood how important it is for the players to get some practice so that they can be competitive. The fact that practice for other sports has also started worked in CSK's favour," the source said.
As no foreigners are allowed for the camp, Lakshmipathi Balaji will be heading it. Also there no crowds will be allowed to enter the stadium and watch their favourite players train.