Ground workers may have caused bio bubble breach: CSK's Kasi Viswanathan

CSK`s Kasi Viswanathan

Following the news that KKR's Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier had tested positive for the Coronavirus on Monday along with CSK's bowling coach L Balaji and a bus cleaner, a day later Delhi Capitals's Amit Mishra and Sunrisers Hyderabad's Wriddhiman Saha also tested positive for the virus.

Balaji is said to be "fine and has no symptoms."

Soon it emerged that Chennai Super Kings's bowling coach L Balaji and one of the bus cleaners had also tested positive. Balaji is said to be "fine and has no symptoms."

IPL-14 was immediately suspended, but the big question is how could there have been a breach of the strict bio-secure bubble?

CSK chief executive Kasi Viswanathan, who tested negative in his second RT-PCR test, suspected that the bubble could have been breached at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, where five groundsmen are also reported to have tested positive for Covid-19.

"We have not been able to exactly identify the reason how this [bio-bubble breach] has happened. We have been going to the ground [for training] and there were people there who were from outside the bubble. So maybe that could have been the reason for this breach," Viswanathan told mid-day on Tuesday.

According to Viswanathan, labourers manning the advertising hoardings and other activities at the ground would often be at the venue along with the team. As per the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of the BCCI, no one is allowed to be on the play of field when the team arrives for a practice session. Even the access of groundsmen is restricted when the players are on the ground.

Viswanathan however, wondered how so many Covid-19 cases emerged despite the bubble. "Delhi has been badly hit anyway [with the highest number of Covid-19 cases]. You cannot have so many people turning positive despite being in the bubble," he said.

Meanwhile, CSK and the other franchises have taken the IPL suspension into their stride. "We had no choice. It was not possible to continue with the bubble with so many members turning positive. It is a good and wise decision to postpone the league," said Viswanathan.

Most of the teams on Tuesday were busy arranging return flights for their overseas recruits. The idea was to pick all players, coaches and support staff of one country and send them together. "Most of the players will have a chartered flight arrangement. We all are still working on it," he said.