Did Karun Nair test positive for COVID-19; KXIP CEO clarifies

Did Karun Nair test positive for COVID-19: The CEO of KXIP opened up on the health of Karun Nair and head coach Anil Kumble.

Indian Premier League franchise Kings XI Punjab chief executive officer Satish Menon has disclosed that head coach Anil Kumble has been monitoring the players’ fitness-related progress with an eye on the 13th season of the tournament.

“[Anil] Kumble has been very busy monitoring the players’ training and fitness once the dates of the IPL had been announced. Not only the Karnataka players, the head coach is also virtually keeping an eye on youngsters like Ishan Porel, who is training in Kolkata,” Menon was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

Kumble, who has both captained and coached India at the highest level, was named Punjab’s coach in October last year. The move has continued KXIP’s tradition of having a different head coach each year since IPL 2016.

Did Karun Nair test positive for COVID-19?

Most recently, Kings XI were in the news after it was being reported that batsman Karun Nair has tested positive for COVID-19. Soon enough, there were also reports of the 28-year old batsman recovering from coronavirus.

Being asked about the same, Menon quashed all such reports stating that all Nair had was a “mild fever”. Menon also put light on the management aiming to educate players with respect to COVID-19 precautions.

“This is absurd, there is no truth in these reports. He [Karun Nair] had some mild fever, that’s all. Nothing to do with coronavirus. He’s perfectly alright and has started training. All our boys have started their training in their respective cities.

“The team management is very particular about all the social distancing guidelines and SOPs given by the BCCI. We are making sure there is no compromise on any of that. In fact, the management will educate each player individually about the risks involved and the importance of keeping a safe distance from the deadly virus,” Menon added.