Reports | Uncertainty over scheduling of IPL 2022 rises as second foreign player of Delhi Capitals tests positive for Covid-19

The possibility of the Covid-19 outbreak in the IPL 2022 grows as a second overseas player in the Delhi Capitals unit was tested positive for Covid-19. The development has raised a question mark over today’s game between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings. The positive results emerged as a round of Rapid Antigen Tests was conducted on Wednesday morning. 

The match was earlier shifted from Pune to Mumbai with a few positive cases in the Delhi Capitals camp. The organisers have also kept an option of rescheduling the match but it will be executed only in the case DC are unable to field 11 negative-tested players. According to the report, PBKS players are understood to be leaving for the venue. 

The player is the sixth positive case in the DC camp as earlier  Australian allrounder Mitchell Marsh, physio Patrick Farhart, sports massage therapist Chetan Kumar, team doctor Abhijit Salvi, and social media content team member Akash Mane were also tested positive. 

It is understood that Mitchell Marsh was moved to a hospital as a precautionary measure as he was facing health issues including experiencing chills. The other members of the team who have been found positive are moved to a separate facility outside the team hotel.

Just like what is happening this year, IPL 2021 also saw a similar start of a Covid outbreak in the tournament. The two players of KKR, Sandeep Warrier and Varun Chakravarthy tested positive and the virus was spread in the KKR unit. Gradually, the members of the teams who have played against KKR recently were found to be positive and the tournament was eventually rescheduled. It was divided into two phases and the second phase was played in UAE.

This time around, a similar kind of outbreak has started and the next plan of action will decide the fate of the tournament.