On the insistence of skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, three-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will have a small camp at the Chepauk for the Indian players before leaving for the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Besides the captain, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush are some of the big names who are likely to feature in the camp. According to reports, they will be brought in by chartered flights on August 14.
The team is expected to leave for the UAE on August 22.
With little practice ahead of the 2020 edition of the IPL, which has been moved out of th4e country due to coronavirus pandemic, Dhoni wanted his teammates to go gather at their 'home'.
It's also reported that the players who will be in the camp will not be required to go through the quarantine process, provided they are COVID-19 negative, as the team will conduct the testing before coming to Chennai.
"The players will not have to undergo a two-week quarantine period once they are in Chennai. They will be tested two days prior to coming to Chennai and provided they are Covid-negative, they will be flown in," ToI reported quoting a source.
Revealing the team's protocols, the source said that the players will go straight to the hotel and will not be allowed to leave the hotel during their six-day stay at Chennai.
"During their stay in the city, the players will be tested twice and they will be flying to Dubai only if they sre found Covid-negative," the source added.
Most of the teams will be flying out after August 20, after two mandatory RT-PCR (COVID-19 tests) conducted within 24 hours from their departure base.
The IPL will be held in the UAE from September 19 to November 10 in three cities -- Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
