Dubai: West Indies opening batsman Chris Gayle finished his six-day quarantine in Dubai and as a result, he has now finally joined the Kings XI Punjab squad in training ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020.
Gayle also said that he is looking forward to work in sync with new skipper KL Rahul and head coach Anil Kumble. Gayle had arrived in the UAE last week and he was then confined to his room for six days as he underwent quarantine as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus.
"Back in class, some new students here as well and it was good to be around them. Some new teachers here as well, we have new headmaster (head coach) in Anil Kumble, looking to rally around with new head boy (captain) KL Rahul," Gayle said in a video posted on the official YouTube channel of Kings XI Punjab.
When asked about his quarantine period, Gayle replied: "Yeah, it was normal, it was pretty relaxing for me, I did some exercise and watched some TV. Now, here am I back to training."
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 teammates.
The much-awaited schedule of the 13th edition of the IPL will be released today, chairman Brijesh Patel had said on Saturday. The fans have been eagerly waiting for the schedule to find out the dates on which their favourite teams will be seen in action. Asked about the schedule, Brijesh had told ANI: "The schedule will be released tomorrow."
All the teams have already reached UAE to take part in the tournament and are currently undergoing training. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) was the last team to begin training as they finally stepped on the field on Friday after their third round of COVID-19 tests.
The IPL 2020 will be played from September 19-November 10 in the UAE across three venues - Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.
