XtraTime Web Desk: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batting coach Michael Hussey feels that all the cricketers of their side are expected to be a bit eusty as they are coming to play a grand tournament like IPL after a long period of time.
The season 13 of the Indian Premier League is set to be played from September 19 to November 10 in the UAE across three venues Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
All international cricket was put on hold since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and only the players from England, West Indies, Pakistan, and Australia have managed to get a hit as England commenced their home summer in July this year.
CSK had a dodgy start to their campaign in the UAE as some members of the camp tested positive for COVID-19 and the entire contingent had to quarantine themselves for longer than expected.
“Bit of a dodgy start, we had to quarantine ourselves for a bit extra, we are on the right track now, we have our negative COVID results, boys are now training hard and are looking forward to the IPL. They are getting rid of all the rustiness and they are looking in good form. I have been really impressed with the guys, the way they have approached their training has been great, all the guys are very keen and I must admit that I expected all the guys to be a bit more rusty than they are,” Hussey said in a video posted on the official Twitter handle of CSK.
When asked about the challenges of being in a bio-secure bubble, Hussey said: “We have stuck to the rules, we have got a good bubble around us, if we stick to the rules then we should be fine. I think it is going to be tough for every player and support staff. It is something we have not experienced before. We have experienced players in our lineup and they understand their game. We need to mentally deal with things. I think the mental side of the game would be really important. Dealing with isolation and being stuck in a hotel will be really challenging.”
All teams have already reached UAE to take part in the upcoming tournament. CSK was the last team to begin training as the side finally returned to the field last week after their third round of COVID-19 tests.
CSK will lock horns with Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2020 opener on September 19 in Abu Dhabi. For the first time in the history of the tournament, the finals will be played on a weekday i.e Tuesday. Both the afternoon and evening matches will be played half an hour earlier than usual this time around.
With inputs from ANI