Covid scare: Sunrisers Hyderabad’s T Natarajan positive, isolated

Dubai, September 22

Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer T Natarajan tested positive for Covid-19 but the team’s IPL match against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday went ahead as scheduled after the remaining contingent was found to be negative.

Left-arm pacer Natarajan, who is coming back from a knee surgery, has been isolated along with six close contacts which also include all-rounder Vijay Shankar.

The rest of the contingent including the close contacts underwent RT-PCR tests at 5AM local time this morning and the test reports are negative. As a result, tonight’s game between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals will go ahead at the Dubai International Stadium, Dubai BCCI statement

IPL’s Covid protocol policy remains questionable. I don’t think IPL’s operations team should have allowed SRH to arrive late BCCI official

“Sunrisers Hyderabad player T Natarajan tested positive for Covid-19 at a scheduled RT-PCR test. The player has isolated himself from the rest of the squad. He is currently asymptomatic,” a BCCI release stated.

“The rest of the contingent including the close contacts underwent RT-PCR tests at 5AM local time this morning and the test reports are negative. As a result, tonight’s game between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals will go ahead at the Dubai International Stadium, Dubai,” it further stated.

The other close contacts identified by the medical team are the team manager, the physiotherapist, the doctor, the logistics manager and a net bowler.

As per the IPL’s Standard Operating Procedure, Natarajan will now have to isolate for 10 days and test negative twice before being allowed back into the bubble.

A senior BCCI official tracking IPL developments, said that Sunrisers Hyderabad could have done better in terms of arranging their travel plans.

“It is a bit weird that Natarajan tested positive on the 11th day of his arrival from India. He has tested negative thrice as per protocols during the first five days. During the six-day quarantine, there was always the risk of one such case,” he said on conditions of anonymity.

“That effectively means IPL’s Covid protocol policy remains questionable. I don’t think IPL’s operations team should have allowed SRH to arrive that late. In case you are arriving late, then it should have been 14-day hard quarantine,” he added.

IPL had to be halted in May due to multiple Covid cases in its bio-bubble when the event was being staged in India. The development is a major blow to SRH, who could not avail Natarajan’s services in the first leg due to injury. The 30-year-old has 20 IPL wickets from 24 matches. Even in the first leg, SRH were affected when senior wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha tested positive. — PTI