Two Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) players test positive for Covid-19, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) match scheduled for today cancelled.
The match was scheduled to be played on Monday.
Both the players are from Eoin Morgan-led KKR.
Two Australians in the KKR squad, Pat Cummins and Ben Cutting, also fear that they may have been exposed to the virus, Australian media reported.
Earlier several international players including Delhi Capital’s Ravichandran Ashwin, RCB’s Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson had withdrawn from the latest edition of IPL over Covid-19 fear.
The Indian cricket board and IPL have received massive criticisms over the holding of the cash-rich tournament at a time India is devastated by the huge rise in Covid-19 cases and shortage of hospital beds in various hospitals.
The rest of the KKR squad, and the whole of the RCB squad, have tested negative. Kolkata will now test their players every day to ensure there is no further spread of the illness within the camp.
An Indian Premier League statement read: “Both the players have isolated themselves from the rest of the squad. The medical team is in continuous touch with the duo and are monitoring their health. Meanwhile, the Kolkata Knight Riders have now moved towards a daily testing routine to identify any other possible cases and treat them at the earliest.
“The medical team is also determining the close and casual contacts of the two positive cases during the 48 hours prior to collection of the sample that returned the positive test results.
“The BCCI and the Kolkata Knight Riders prioritise the health and safety of everyone involved and all measures are being taken in that endeavour.”
The development will add further fuel to the critics’ fire of the IPL continuing while India is experiencing a devastating second wave of the novel coronavirus.
In excess of 350,000 new cases are being recorded daily nationwide, while the IPL’s use of medical equipment, ambulances and oxygen has also been questioned in the circumstances.
