Did CSK pacer breach bio-secure bubble in UAE?

Chennai Super Kings pacer KM Asif has become the first player to have breached the IPL bio-secure bubble, albeit accidentally for which he was placed in a six-day quarantine, a report claims.

Asif misplaced his room key and then proceeded to the reception area for a replacement. The area, as per IPL 2020 rules, doesn’t fall under the secure zone and thus the Kerala cricketer was deemed to have breached the bubble.

Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan has rubbished claims of pacer KM Asif breaking the bio bubble to go to the reception area of the team hotel in Dubai to get spare keys for his room.

The CEO said that there is a separate area in the lobby which caters to the players, and all of the staff working there are being tested regularly to avoid any case of infection.

"I don't know if facts have been checked because while there is a reception in the lobby, the staff attending to the CSK unit is different. Asif obviously would not go and speak to the general staff. The boys know that there is a dedicated team working with the players. The fact he lost the key and went and asked for a replacement is true. But he didn't go to the regular staff working and went to the designated desk. The matter has been blown out of proportion and facts need to be kept in mind," he pointed.

Elaborating further, the CEO said he himself has ensured that he doesn't enter the bubble that is there for the players, and support staff is different from the one for officials.

"We all know the gravity of the situation and how the coronavirus is deadly. In fact, I myself have not entered the floors where the players and support staff are staying. Their bubble is different from the bubble created for the officials."

"We are taking as much precautions as humanly possible. The players have undergone 14 tests so far and Asif too has been part of them and he is negative. Now, we cannot ask every staff member in the hotel to be a part of the bubble, but let me inform you that they are all being regularly tested," he explained.

Asif, who is yet to feature this IPL, has played two matches for CSK so far and taken three wickets in them.

CSK didn't have the best of starts to their journey in this edition of the IPL as 12 members in the team including two players had tested positive for coronavirus after landing in UAE. In fact, the quarantine period after reaching the country saw them miss out on important training time and skipper MS Dhoni has spoken about how it hurt their preparation leading into the tournament.