IPL 2020: Mitchell McClenaghan's funny exchange with Zaheer Khan during Mumbai Indians Q&A session
With all the Indian Premier League teams currently observing a mandatory seven-day quarantine period in hotels in the United Arab Emirates, the social media banter between different IPL players has reached an all-time high.
Mumbai Indians' Director of Cricket Operations and former left-arm pacer for India Zaheer Khan was in the midst of a Q&A session on the IPL franchise’s official Twitter handle when he was asked an unusual question by one of the players, Mitchell McClenaghan.
The Kiwi pacer put forward a simple question:
“Hey @ImZaheer when can I come out of my room please?”
Zaheer Khan came up with a witty answer and replied by saying that Mitchell McClenaghan might have misplaced his quarantine rule book and would require a new one.
I can't see any of my teammates: Mitchell McClenaghan
Strict COVID-19 protocols have been tough for the IPL players, and these online Q&A sessions during quarantine offer a virtual getaway with fellow players and fans.
During one of these online sessions, a Twitter user asked Mitchell McClenaghan about his immediate neighbours in the hotel. The New Zealand fast bowler was not entirely sure who lived in the rooms close to his but tried his best to make an accurate guess. He said:
“I can't see anyone – although @krunalpandya24 (Krunal Pandya) is 2 floors above me @surya_14kumar (Suryakumar Yadav) 4 floors, and @ImRo45 (Rohit Sharma) a few doors down. I met a fly on my balcony today - I named him Barry.”
Defending champions and four-time IPL winners Mumbai Indians will be hoping that their quarantine period ends soon so that they can hit the ground running for practice before IPL 2020 commences. Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, they will also be eager to extend their success into the dunes of the Emirates.
The IPL 2020 is scheduled to begin from September 19 and will be played in the UAE across three venues - Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.