Shah Rukh Khan Sir Was Very Adamant That There Should Be Someone With Us: Sandeep Warrier Lauds KKR Management And Co-Owner Shah Rukh Khan For Their Support During His Ordeal With Covid

Indian seamer Sandeep Warrier was one of the first cricketers to test positive for Covid-19 in the now-suspended IPL 2021.

The Kolkata Knight Riders cricketer tested positive for Covid immediately after his teammate Varun Chakravarthy got infected with the contagion.

In a recent interview with News18, Sandeep Warrier opened up about the entire ordeal.

The seamer said that he had no idea from where he got infected with the virus. He revealed that he was not feeling well on the morning of the RT-PCR test on May 02 and while he did return negative, he knew something wasn’t right.

His biggest fear became reality soon afterward after his wife Aarthi, who, besides being a doctor, had got infected with Covid 6-7 months ago, suggested to him on a video call to take another test as she believed that he had Covid.

Warrier said that he immediately informed the KKR management after he once again returned positive, post which he was shifted to a non-bubble floor.

“I have no idea how it started. On May 2, we had an RT-PCR test. That morning itself, I was not feeling well. So I quarantined myself after informing KKR. That test came negative for me, I guess it came positive for Varun Chakravarthy. He was quarantined on another floor. Since I was negative I thought it will be just a normal viral fever,” revealed Sandeep Warrier.

“But since Varun came positive, we took another test, and I turned positive. By then, I realized it was COVID because my wife (Aarthi) is a doctor. She told me you have covid, and the next test result will be positive for sure. She had covid six-seven months back. She had the same symptoms. She saw me on a video call and knew it was covid,” he added.

*I informed that to the team doctor. The next test was positive, and they took me to the non-bubble floor,” said Warrier.

Sandeep Warrier on how KKR management and co-owner Shah Rukh Khan supported him during his ordeal with Covid

When asked if the KKR management was supporting during the phase, Sandeep Warrier responded in the affirmative.

He revealed that co-owner Shah Rukh Khan got in touch with everyone after the IPL was called off and he assured everyone that they return safely to their respective homes.

Sandeep Warrier further added that SRK was particularly adamant that someone should stay back with him and Varun Chakravarthy until they returned negative.

And, as a result, while Venky Mysore stayed back for three days, the team doctor, manager, and logistics head only left once the returner negative.

“Our team doctor, Shrikant, and our manager,(Wayne Bentley), and Raju (logistics) was staying back for me and Varun. They left only after we came negative. So we were fine,” revealed Sandeep Warrier.

“After we tested positive, we had to isolate the whole team. The next day, IPL was called off. We had a virtual meeting in which everyone was asking about me and Varun. Shah Rukh sir also spoke to everyone saying you all will be taken back home safely and that there is nothing to worry about. For me and Varun, he was very adamant that there should be someone with us for the whole one week or 10 days after the tournament ended. Venky (Mysore, CEO) sir also stayed back for three days,” he added.

On his post-Covid recovery, Sandeep Warrier said that while he has resumed training, he is still feeling the effects of Covid.

“I’ve been training for the past week. I am feeling a lot better now. The advantage was that, even in the first test where I came positive (for COVID-19), my reading was very low,” said Warrier.

“In the first RT-PCR test itself, my reading was around 25. By the second test itself, it came to 31. In the subsequent tests, it came negative. The  COVID effect was not very high, but I feel the post-covid has affected me quite a bit. I have been training for the last one week, and that alone is taking a toll on me,” he revealed.

Also Read: Tim Seifert Breaks Down While Narrating His Covid-19 Ordeal In India