IPL 2020: Ruturaj Gaikwad To Miss CSK's Opening Encounter Against Mumbai Indians

Gaekwad was along with CSK seamer Deepak Chahar tested positive for COVID-19 after the team’s arrival in UAE cannot join the rest of the squad as he is yet to clear the two manadatory COVID-19 tests.

Ruturaj Gaikwad

Chennai Super Kings would be without the services of their promising young talent Ruturaj Gaekwad for the IPL season 13 opener against Mumbai Indians on September 19 after the top order batsman was ruled out from game on account of him yet to clear the mandatory coronavirus tests. Gaekwad was along with CSK seamer Deepak Chahar tested positive for COVID-19 after the team landed up in UAE cannot join the rest of the squad as he is yet to clear the two mandatory COVID-19 tests. We are waiting for BCCI to give us a clearance on Gaikwad. He has to undergo the fitness tests [as well]," Kasi Viswanathan, Super Kings' chief executive officer, told ESPNcricinfo. As per the IPL's medical guidelines laid down to protect players and officials from the covid-19 pandemic, any player in the bio-secure bubble testing positive first has to go into self quarantine for 14 days and then return negative twice in two Covid-19 tests. The two tests are carried out on consecutive days. After that, he has to undergo medical tests put in place by BCCI's team before he can start training. CSK fast bowler Deepak Chahar, who tested Covid-19 positive last month, underwent a similar quarantine period and testing process but much to his good luck returned negative in his test to join the team's bio secure bubble. Chahar recovered in time to be ready for the opening match. Gaikwad has been a heavy run scorer for India A in List A cricket over the last two years, amasing 843 runs in 15 innings. More importantly, all those runs were scored by the top order batsman at No. 3, the position CSK's experienced campaigner Suresh Raina mostly batted at for Super Kings. Gaikwad began the 2019-20 season with a below-par Vijay Hazare Trophy, the 50-over competition, but bounced back in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the T20 tournament. His tally of 419 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 146.30 was only second to Devdutt Padikkal's 580 runs in 12 innings.