IPL 2021: Australian players committed to play till the end

Bengaluru, May 4: Though the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 has been hit hard by a spate of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic cases, the majority of the Australian cricketers want to fulfil their commitments with their respective franchises, according to their players union chief.

The IPL 2021's bio-bubble was breached with two Kolkata Knight Riders players testing positive for COVID-19.

But despite that Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) chief executive Todd Greenberg said the players of his country have no plans to leave the IPL as they have gone to India with their "eyes wide open."

He, however, said "concern" is growing over plans to get them home at the end of the tournament.

"I think the majority are prepared to fulfil their commitments, they went in with their eyes wide open," Greenberg was quoted as saying on Radio 2GB.

"They do want to see the tournament finished, but they also clearly want to come home at the end, and that's where the concern comes, because there's just not a definitive plan on how that's going to happen at the moment," he added.

KKR's Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier tested positive for COVID-10, forcing postponement of their game against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Crisis hits KKR as 2 players test COVID-19 positive, match against RCB rescheduled

Greenberg said Australian players in the KKR squad, Pat Cummins and Ben Cutting are doing "fine" and "relatively safe" while under quarantine.

The match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals has also been postponed after Chennai franchise bowling coach L Balaji returned positive.

IPL 2021: CSK-RR clash on May 5 rescheduled due to Balaji's COVID positive report

Greenberg said he is hoping no more COVID-19 positive cases come out in the IPL.

"You've to be a realist to understand once it breaks into one of these bubbles that we may see more, but let's hope we don't. We're keeping a close eye on it," he said.

IPL 2021: Australia commentator Michael Slater leaves bio-bubble, lands in Maldives

Three Australian players -- Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson -- have already returned home.

Commentator Michael Slater is now reportedly in the Maldives, unable to return to his country after the suspension of flights from India until at least May 15 because of the surge in COVID-19 cases.