IPL 2020: MS Dhoni has assured me that there is nothing to worry about, says N Srinivasan on CSK’s COVID-19 woes
As many as 13 individuals from the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) contingent – including two players – have tested positive for COVID-19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). However, captain MS Dhoni has assured CSK owner N Srinivasan that there is no need to worry about the situation yet.
Speaking to Outlook, N Srinivasan revealed:
“I spoke to MS (Dhoni) and he has assured me that even if the numbers go up, there was nothing to worry. He spoke to the players through a zoom call and asked them to remain safe. I have got a solid captain. Dhoni is simply unfazed by anything. That is giving everyone in the team a lot of confidence."
Among those who tested positive are two players – Deepak Chahar and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Everyone in the franchise will have remain in quarantine for a few more days and will only be allowed to enter the bio-secure bubble after everyone is tested negative. This has subsequently delayed the start of their training sessions.
Many people speculated that the pre-season camp which was held in Chennai before the team's travel to the UAE is the reason behind the positive cases.
CSK was permitted by the Tamil Nadu government to organise a five-day training camp at Chepauk. The training was attended by most of the team’s Indian players, except Ravindra Jadeja and Harbhajan Singh.
MS Dhoni to return to the field after more than a year
All eyes will be on MS Dhoni when the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) begins later this month.
MS Dhoni, who announced his retirement from international cricket last month, will be seen in action at the tournament after more than a year.
The former India skipper has led CSK to three IPL titles and is the second-most successful captain in the league after Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma. MS Dhoni boasts of an enviable batting record in the IPL – 4432 runs from 190 games including 23 half-centuries.