IPL 2020: Karun Nair Tested Positive For COVID-19, Recovers In Time For Tournament

India and Kings XI Punjab batsman Karun Nair had reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 recently but has now completely recovered as he gears up for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League.

The thirteenth edition of the tournament is set to be played in UAE. IPL 2020 is scheduled to start on September 19 while the final is scheduled to take place on November 10. The entire competition will be played in UAE because of the alarming coronavirus situation in the country.

All the teams will be leaving for UAE later this month after August 20. Before their departures, the teams need to test their members at least twice and both the results need to be negative for an individual to board the flight for UAE.

Well, Karun Nair has recovered in time for the tournament. According to ESPNcricinfo, the right-handed batsman tested negative on August 8 and will now undergo three further tests before flying to UAE with his IPL side. Karun Nair is the first IPL player to have contracted the virus.

An important member of the Kings XI Punjab side, Karun Nair has so far played 14 games for Kings XI across the 2018 and 2019 IPL seasons, scoring 306 runs, including two fifties, at a strike rate of 134.80.

While he is the first high profile Indian cricketer to have tested positive, he is not the first individual related with the IPL who has tested positive. On Wednesday, Rajasthan Royals announced that their fielding coach Dishant Yagnik has tested positive for COVID-19.

Opportunity for Karun Nair to impress:

Karun Nair will be looking to make a mark in the upcoming season of IPL. The Karnataka player has played six Tests and two One-Day Internationals for India, scoring 374 runs. He has also made a triple-century in the Chennai Test against England in 2016, making him only the second Indian batsman to achieve the feat.

However, he has fallen down the pecking order as far as his chances with Team India are concerned and need to do really well in the coming days to brighten up his chances of getting another recall.

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