Highlights:
- The first case of COVId-19 amongst the IPL 2020 teams
- Rajasthan Royal’s fielding coach has been tested positive for COVID-19
- The 13th edition of IPL is set to take place in UAE
The fielding coach of Rajasthan Royals, Dishant Yagnik, has been tested positive for the novel Coronavirus as the IPL 2020 team announced on Wednesday. This makes it the first case of COVID-19 amongst the franchises of the league ahead of their scheduled departure next week to UAE for the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League.
This year’s IPL is set to take place in the United Arab Emirates and will begin on the 19th of September with the finale scheduled on 10th of November. The event was shifted out of India due to rising cases of the novel Coronavirus in the country.
Rajasthan Royals, in a statemen, said, “Rajasthan Royals would like to inform that their fielding coach Dishant Yagnik has tested positive for COVID-19,”.
It added, “The test was undertaken keeping in mind that the team members need to assemble in Mumbai next week for their flight to the UAE.
“The franchise implemented an extra test for all players, support staff and management travelling to the UAE in addition to the two tests recommended by BCCI, to ensure as robust a process as possible.”
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This is the first case among the IPL contingent.
Yagnik, as of now, is in his home town in Udaipur and has been advised to get admitted to a hospital for the mandatory 14 day quarantine period.
Even after the 14 days quarantine period, Yagnik will not straight fly to the UAE, instead, he will take 2 tests as per the COVID-19 protocols set by BCCI and will be allowed back into the team only after his test results come back as negative.
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After he arrives in the UAE, Yagnik will have to stay in isolation for at least 6 days wherein he will have to take 3 more COVID-19 tests.
Rajasthan Royals, in the statement, added that, “On return of two negative reports, he will be allowed to join the team after self isolating for 6 days and receiving 3 further negative tests upon his arrival in the UAE,”.
Rajasthan Royals have also confirmed that none of its players has been in contact with Yagnik. Both the franchise as well as the fielding coach, who tweeted about it, requested everyone who has been in close proximity to him in the past 10 days to self-isolate and get tested for COVID-19.
The IPL franchise also said, “We request everyone who has been in close proximity to Dishant in the past 10 days to self isolate and get tested for COVID-19. We can confirm that no Rajasthan Royals or other IPL players have been in close proximity to Dishant in the past 10 days,”.
Rajasthan Royals, who won the 1st season of the IPL, also wrote, “We wish Dishant a speedy recovery and look forward to him joining the Royals camp soon in the UAE.”
The 37-year-old, a left-handed hard-hitting wicket-keeper batsman, made 170 runs in 25 IPL games.
He made his first-class debut back in the year 2004 and scored 1754 runs in 50 matches with an average of 24.70. He also has 1 century and 9 half-centuries under his belt.
In 41 List A games he played, he scored 945 runs at an average of 25.54 with two tons and four half-centuries.
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