Delhi Capitals skipper Shreyas Iyer has said that the addition of Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin will add great depth to the squad of the franchise for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL). The IPL 2020 will be played in the UAE from September 19 to November 10 across three venues – Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. Delhi would be led by Shreyas Iyer and the franchise has new additions like Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Marcus Stoinis who will bolster their lineup.
Last year, Rahane played for Rajasthan Royals while Ashwin led Kings XI Punjab.
"Our brand of cricket has been aggressive and passionate and that's how we are as a team. The addition of Rahane and Ashwin adds a great sense of depth to our side and gives Ricky and me the option of being flexible with our playing XI depending on the opposition we are playing," Iyer said in a video posted on the official website of IPL.
"These are both individuals who are highly knowledgable about the game and have captained IPL teams, so as a captain this is an opportunity for me to use their experience and reach out to them whenever I need some help," he added.
On Saturday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that 13 personnel including two players tested positive for COVID-19.
However, the board did not specify as to which team has how many confirmed cases. The identity of the players and staff was also not revealed.
"13 personnel have tested positive of which 2 are players. All the affected personnel as well as their close contacts are asymptomatic and have been isolated from other team members. They are being monitored by the IPL Medical Team," the BCCI had said in an official release.
All players and team personnel are required to undergo a six-day quarantine period after landing in the UAE and everyone needs to be tested for COVID-19 thrice.
Once, they all test negative for COVID-19, the players can start training in the UAE with their team-mates. Delhi Capitals has already begun their practice as everyone involved tested negative for COVID-19.
The final match of the 2020 edition is scheduled to be played on a weekday, i.e. Tuesday, for the first time in the history of the T20 tournament.
This time, both the afternoon and evening matches will be played half-an-hour earlier than usual.