Chennai, August 9: Indian Premier League franchise Chennai Super Kings is going to organise a camp for their Indian players at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. As IPL 2020 will be held in the UAE from September 19, the players are still not clear when are they going to begin practising.
It is being believed that the players will only hit the nets once they reach the UAE. However, CSK team management has managed to pull off a major breakthrough in this regard as they've secured Tamil Nadu government's permission to organise a camp of their players for a week at their home ground.
Big players like captain MS Dhoni, vice-captain Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Ambati Rayudu, Piyush Chawla and a few others will arrive in Chennai via chartered flight before August 15. After a week's camp, the players will leave for UAE on August 21.
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A source was quoted by a Times of India report as saying, "The players will not have to undergo a two-week quarantine period once they are in Chennai. They will be tested two days prior to coming to Chennai and provided they are Covid-negative, they will be flown in."
The Tamil Nadu government late last month, issued a Government Order allowing sports complexes and stadia run by SDAT and non-SDAT centres to open for practice. The move allowed the elite players to resume practice in the stadia while following standard operating procedures.
MS Dhoni has already hit the nets in his home town Ranchi as the veteran India cricketer visited JSCA Cricket Stadium and started practising in front of a bowling machine.
Earlier this week, defending champions Mumbai Indians began quarantining their Indian players in a hotel in Mumbai and scheduled regular COVID-19 tests.
After completing their quarantine, players will then be allowed to train at the franchise's facility in Navi Mumbai. As per ESPNcricinfo report, Rajasthan Royals have also planned to conduct tests for their players and support staff over the next two weeks, prior to their departure to Dubai. Another franchise has directed their Indian players to home quarantine as a precaution while simultaneously initiating Covid-19 tests.