IPL 2021: KKR CEO Venky Mysore sheds light on situation as Varun, Sandeep test positive for COVID-19

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 was rocked on Monday when two players from Kolkata Knight Riders – Varun Chakaravarthy and Sandeep Warrier – tested positive for COVID-19. The development forced the BCCI to reschedule the match between KKR and Royal Challengers Bangalore, which was to be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday.

While both Varun and Sandeep are isolating after testing positive, all other KKR members have returned negative. However, KKR are strictly following the SOPs and have quarantined all the players and members in their respective hotel rooms.

KKR CEO and Managing Director, Venky Mysore, has now shed light on the situation as he said the franchise was quick to take the necessary precautions and bring the situation under control.

"Difficult times, but I'm happy to report that both Varun and Sandeep are doing well," Mysore told Star Sports.

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"We have taken all the precautions that are necessary and have been advised by the medical teams of IPL and KKR and also getting appropriate advice from outside on what the right thing to do is. Sandeep, in particular, is doing fine. No temperature, no other symptoms, and he is feeling good. Varun is still a little under the weather, but better than yesterday and both of them are in good spirits."

KKR, including owner Shah Rukh Khan, joined the players and staff on a video call to boost everyone’s morale. The KKR CEO further said that players may return back to training on May 6 upon completing the quarantine.

Speaking on the immediate steps in consultation with the officials and other governing bodies involved, Venky Mysore said:

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"I think everyone has been very proactive. We found out approximately 24 hours ago about Varun testing positive, so the immediate steps we took was to isolate him, and then later on in the night when we got test results which also involved Sandeep, we put them on a different floor with a different Air Conditioning ducts system to make sure others are appropriately protected. We have asked everybody in the bubble (players, support staff, management, hotel staff and service staff) to quarantine, so they are isolated in their rooms. The food delivery is on a knock and drop basis, which everyone has gotten used to by now.

"The target completion date of this five day with this daily testing is the 6th of May," Venky Mysore said.

"The team doctor was on the call as well, and his assessment is that if everything's goes well, the plan that we have put in place, we should be able to get the results sometime later in the day on the 6th of May which means that potentially we could even get out that evening for a practice subject to what the coaches want to do and then get ready for 7th and 8th depending on when the rescheduled games would potentially take place."