Devdutt Padikkal, a batsman for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), has tested positive for COVID-19, the team reported on Sunday. The left-handed opener tested positive on March 22 and has been quarantined at his Bengaluru home since then, according to the RCB. “On March 22, 2021, Devdutt Padikkal tested positive for COVID-19. Since then, he has been under involuntary quarantine at his Bengaluru home.
As per IPL protocol, Devdutt will be qualified to enter the RCB bio-bubble once his RT-PCR tests are negative “RCB sent out a tweet. “Devdutt’s safety and well-being are being tracked by the RCB Medical staff. He is in good health, and we are looking forward to seeing him join the squad for #IPL2021.”
Padikkal is now expected to miss at least two games for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Axar Patel, a spinner for the Delhi Capitals, tested positive for the coronavirus on Saturday. Although the DC team is based in Mumbai, the RCB team is based in Chennai, where the team will play Mumbai Indians in the tournament opener on April 9.
Padikkal, who batted at the top of the order for RCB, was one of the biggest surprises of the IPL 2020 season. Padikkal scored 473 runs at a 31.53 average in 15 IPL games.
Padikkal was in excellent form for Karnataka in the recently ended Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 218 runs at an average of 43.60 in six matches. Padikkal also racked up a mountain of 737 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring them at a towering pace of 147.40 in seven matches.
In addition, the 20-year-old has participated in 15 first-class and 20 List A games. With six centuries and eight half-centuries, he has 1387 List A runs with an average of 86.68.
Padikkal’s case is the third in which an IPL player has tested positive. Axar Patel of the Delhi Capitals and Nitish Rana of the Kolkata Knight Riders have both tested positive for Covid-19.
Patel checked into the team hotel in Mumbai on March 28 after receiving a negative Covid-19 examination but later returned a positive test. Meanwhile, Rana has tested negative and has returned to the team’s training sessions after a 12-day quarantine in Mumbai.
