Things have finally started taking a turn for the better for Chennai with the entire remaining squad in the UAE turning up negative for the first of two global virus tests conducted on Monday.
The team have had a turbulent take-off to their 2020 Indian T20 League season with 13 squad members testing positive for the global virus in two of the three mandatory tests during the six-day quarantine period, including two players and support staff, followed by Suresh Raina's sensational exit from the tournament not long after.
The positive cases meant that while the rest of the teams began training on Friday, August 28, Chennai were made to extend their quarantine period.
However, with Monday's virus test successfully out of the way, the team just has to clear another test on Thursday, September 3 and they will be able to begin training in earnest on the following day.
CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan said that in light of their team's positive tests, the IPL had stepped up the total number of mandatory tests to five, two more than what the other teams had to undergo.
Also, the two players who had tested positive earlier will also be allowed to start training following successful clearance of the testing process outlined by the series. Meanwhile, Harbhajan Singh, who had decided to skip the now controversial Chepauk training camp, is reportedly poised to arrive in Dubai sometime in the first week of September after earlier being scheduled to join up with the squad on Tuesday, September 1.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Noah Seelam
