The immediate future of the 2021 Indian Premier League is in total jeopardy after an apparent COVID-19 outbreak within the Kolkata Knight Riders squad.
The 2021 IPL has played amid the unbelievable COVID-19 outbreak in India which has seen daily cases rise above 300,000 and finally that has breached the competition’s bubble.
Two Kolkata Knight Riders players have tested along with staff members, officials and ground staff from a variety of organsations.
The positive KKR tests has seen their match with the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Ahmedabad on Monday postponed.
The scope of the outbreak within IPL ranks appears to be rising, putting at risk the entire competition which is already bordering on controversial in its continuance.
Indian bowling duo Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier are the two KKR players to have tested positive, although it’s not clear yet if any others from within the squad have too.
It’s understood Chakravarthy recently was permitted to leave the biosecure bubble to undergo scans on an injured shoulder, where contraction may have occurred.
An IPL statement said: “Knight Riders have now moved towards a daily testing routine to identify any other possible cases.
“The medical team is also determining the close and casual contacts of the two positive cases during the 48 hours.”
Monday’s match is the first in the 2021 IPL to be postponed, but with three members of the Chennai Super Kings also testing positive, there are growing concerns about the tournament.
CSK are due to play the Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday and as things stand that will go ahead.
