Chennai Super Kings (CSK) players and staff have tested COVID-19 negative for the second time in the space of five days and have been now cleared to begin their pre-season camp for IPL 2020. The players and staff had undergone the first tests on Monday (August 31) while the second set of tests took place on Thursday. All players and support staff of the CSK camp that underwent both tests have now been cleared to start their practice sessions ahead of the start of Indian Premier League season 13. CSK were initially scheduled to begin their pre-season camp on August 28 but a number of COVID-19 positive results threw the plan into jeopardy. CSK Team Profile for IPL 2020: Chennai Super Kings Squad in UAE, Stats & Records and Full List of Players Ahead of Indian Premier League Season 13.

At least 13 members of the CSK camp, including players Deepak Chahar and Ruturaj Gaikwad, had tested positive for COVID-19. The positive results put the entire team into quarantine for the next six days. The players and support staff, who had tested negative before, then undertook fresh tests on Monday and all tested negative. A second set of tests were conducted on Thursday and results showed all players and staff, barring the ones who tested positive earlier, were all COVID-19 negative. Team CSK Key Players for IPL 2020: MS Dhoni, Shane Watson, Deepak Chahar and Other Cricketers to Watch Out for From Chennai Super Kings.

“We are so relieved with the negative tests. We will start practice either on Friday noon or Saturday morning as per the decision of the coach and the captain”, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan was quoted as saying to InsideSport. CSK will now begin their pre-season camp on Friday evening and could still play the IPL 2020 opener against Mumbai Indians on September 19.

Deepak Chahar, Ruturj Gaikwad and the other CSK support staff, who had tested positive are still in quarantine and are reportedly staying in a separate hotel. Both the players and support staff will now undergo two fresh tests post their two-week quarantine period and can only join the remainder of the CSK squad after clearing both the COVID-19 tests.

The report also quoted Viswanathan as saying that CSK were still open to playing the IPL opening match against Mumbai Indians on September 19. “We never had a problem with playing the opening game of IPL 2020. It will be the IPL Governing Council decision. We are game for the opener against the Mumbai Indians,” he said.

BCCI meanwhile, will be announcing the complete IPL 2020 schedule on Friday, BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly confirmed. "We understand schedules are delayed. It is almost on the verge of getting final and should be released by Friday," Ganguly was quoted as saying by news agency IANS. The Indian Premier League season 13 will begin from September 19 and will run until November 10 when the final will be played.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 04, 2020 10:11 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).