(Reuters) – Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman Devdutt Padikkal has become the third player to test positive for COVID-19 ahead of the new Indian Premier League (IPL) season, which begins Friday.
Bangalore said Padikkal returned a positive result on March 22 before he was due to join the squad, which is in a bio-secure bubble in Chennai.
“He has been in mandatory quarantine at his residence in Bengaluru since then,” the team said in a statement.
Devdutt will be fit to join the RCB bio-bubble once his RT-PCR tests are negative, as per IPL protocol.”
Delhi Capitals spinner Axar Patel and Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Nitish Rana tested positive for the virus after joining their teams.
Participants will have to stay in a restricted health environment for this year’s IPL, which will be played across six venues in India, initially without spectators.
Bangalore are scheduled to face five-time champions Mumbai Indians in the season opener on Friday at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium.