On Wednesday, while playing against Punjab Kings in IPL 2022 Match 32 at the Brabourne Stadium, Delhi Capitals players and support personnel were seen donning face masks in their dugout. After positive cases emerged from their camp in the build-up to the crunch game, the players and support personnel followed the Covid-19 guidelines.
DC Players Wear Masks In Dug-out After Corona Crisis
After Delhi won the toss and chose to bowl, head coach Ricky Ponting and the players in the dugout were seen wearing masks in the dugout. After testing negative in RT-PCR tests done on the day of the match, players and support personnel followed the Covid guidelines.
Tim Siefert tested positive for COVID on Wednesday, making him the sixth COVID case in Delhi’s contingent. Mitchell Marsh, an all-rounder, had previously tested positive and was sent to the hospital.
In the post-match conference, Axar Patel commented and said, “He said, we will have to play the match anyway. So, we have only two options left. Either you can think of the positive cases and keep wondering about what will happen to your preparations or not worry about what is not in your control and keep preparing, stay committed to the match,”
Although the IPL 2022 season started off on a bright note with no Covid-19 instances reported in the lead-up to the season, rumors of as many as six positive cases in the Delhi camp have raised concerns. Even though the players and support personnel in Mumbai and Pune — the only two host cities for IPL 2022 — are following stringent bio-bubble regulations, it was wonderful to see masks return to the dugout.
Mitchell Marsh became the first Delhi Capitals player to be declared Covid-19 positive. On Monday, he was admitted to the hospital after the Delhi Capitals revealed that a few other members of the camp had tested positive for the illness. Earlier, they were supposed to play PBKS at the MCA Stadium in Pune, but their travel was canceled, and the game was rescheduled for the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
