Chennai Super Kings want to hold the camp from August 16 to 20 at Chepauk.
With the announcement that IPL 2020 will be held in UAE from September 19 to November 10, it has become imperative for the teams to hit the ground running with a proper camp in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a report in ESPNCricinfo, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) want to hold the camp from August 16 to 20 at Chepauk, post which all the players will depart for UAE.
Therefore, MS Dhoni, who has been away from competitive cricket for more than a year now, could be seen in action as soon as August 16.
The CSK skipper recently hit the nets back home in Ranchi as he practised in an indoor academy but will now reportedly participate in a 15-member training camp.
"We want to have a camp in Chennai from August 16 till 20th," Kasi Viswanathan, the Super Kings chief executive officer, told ESPNcricinfo. "We have applied to the Tamil Nadu government for permission. Orally they have said yes, but we have still not got the written letter of approval. If the written approval comes we are planning for a camp for the Indian players alone."
Before arriving for the camp, the players will have to go through COVID-19 tests at their respective hometowns. Subsequently, they will come to Chennai and undergo two further tests on August 17 and 18. CSK are planning to fly the players to UAE on August 21 from Chennai in case the camp does not happen. If it does, there could be a small delay.
It is pertinent to mention here that MS Dhoni had begun training in the lead up to the IPL 2020, which was initially scheduled to start on March 29. After taking to the nets in Ranchi, he landed in Chennai in the first week of March and trained extensively with a few of his CSK teammates, including Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu.
However, Dhoni’s plans got jeopardized by the COVID-19 outbreak as it forced the BCCI to suspend the cash-rich event indefinitely.