CSK will lock horns with Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2020 opener on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.
Therefore, the CSK contingent’s 6-day quarantine period was extended to a 14-day one and they only recently started their outdoor net sessions, much later than other franchises.
However, CSK batting coach Michael Hussey believes that the team is on the right track now, despite him expecting the guys to be a lot rusty because of no cricket for the past 6 months or so. The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 is slated to be played from September 19 till November 10 in the UAE across three venues -- Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.
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"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, and 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 rustier than they are," Hussey said in a video posted on the official Twitter handle of CSK.
Speaking on the challenges of the bio-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."
CSK will lock horns with Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2020 opener on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.