IPL 2021: Eight Groundsmen at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium Test Positive for COVID-19 Just Days Before Start of Indian Premier League 14

Preparations for IPL 2021 have been disrupted in Mumbai after eight groundsmen at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium tested positive for COVID-19. Season 14 of the Indian Premier League will begin on April 9 (Friday) with defending champions Mumbai Indians playing Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the season opener. The first match at the Wankhede Stadium will be played a day later between Chennai Super Kings and last season’s finalists Delhi Capitals. But the venue have dealt with a major setback after eight of its ground staff tested COBID-19 positive. IPL 2021: KL Rahul Joins Punjab Kings Squad in Mumbai.

Mumbai is one of the six venues picked as the hosts for IPL 2021. Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Delhi and Kolkata are the other venues that will play host to the lucrative T20 league. But with coronavirus cases rising in the country and states declaring lockdowns once again to halt the second wave of the virus, franchisees are worried about the health and safety of their players and have called for a stricter approach from the organisers. Will Harbhajan Singh Be Part of KKR First-Choice Playing XI in IPL 2021?

According to a report from Sportstar, all 19 groundsmen at the Wankhede Stadium underwent RT-PCR tests last week. Three were reported to have tested positive on March 26 while five more were declared to have contracted the virus a week later. The report also states that the stadium authorities could be forced into bringing ground staff from the Sharad Pawar Academy at Bandra-Kurla Complex and Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana at Kandivali to get the ground ready in time for its first match of IPL 2021.

"You do get a little concerned when you hear such things days before the start of the tournament,” a franchisee official was quoted as saying by ANI. “We have all been following protocols to the core, but obviously, when such a news come in, it makes us a little wary. We are looking at keeping things as tight as possible. Have to be on our guard," the official said.

The Wankhede Stadium will host 10 matches in IPL 2021 beginning with the CSK vs DC match on April 10.  Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings have set their training base in Mumbai as of now before the start of the tournament.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 03, 2021 10:46 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).