Tim Seifert tests positive for COVID-19, tonight's game against Punjab doubtful

The New Zealand player is the second overseas cricketer in the Capitals team after Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh to catch the infection, taking the overall count of positive cases to six.

Mumbai: The IPL game between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings on Wednesday evening has been put under serious doubt after wicket-keeper batter Tim Seifert tested positive for COVID-19. The New Zealand player is the second overseas cricketer in the Capitals team after Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh to catch the infection, taking the overall count of positive cases to six.

The positive case emerged after a fresh round of testing conducted on Wednesday morning, according to a BCCI source. "As far as we know, Tim Seifert of New Zealand has tested positive," said a BCCI source. "We were tested in the morning and we will be tested again shortly. We continue to be isolated," said a player on the condition of anonymity.

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Officials from the Punjab franchise told PTI the squad was ready to leave for the venue. As per the IPL regulations, a minimum of 12 players including seven Indians are needed for the game to go ahead in case of a COVID outbreak. There is also an option to reschedule the game if the minimum player requirement is not met.

The BCCI was on Tuesday forced to shift the game to Mumbai from Pune "to avoid any further incident due to any undetected case during a long-distance bus journey in a closed environment". Delhi physio Patrick Farhart and sports massage therapist Chetan Kumar had tested positive last week while Marsh, who is hospitalised, team doctor Abhijit Salvi and social media content team member Akash Mane returned positive tests on Monday.

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Seifert had also contracted the virus last season when he was with the Kolkata Knight Riders. Multiple cases across four teams had forced the organisers to suspended the IPL last season before it was completed in the UAE in September-October.

PTI