New Zealand’s wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Seifert, who was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad in the suspended 2021 edition of IPL, has returned positive for COVID-19 and will not be on the charter flight back home with other players and support staff.

Seifert will instead serve quarantine in Ahmedabad before returning to Chennai to receive treatment at a private hospital.

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The 26-year-old failed both his pre-departure RT-PCR tests and “is experiencing moderate symptoms.”

"Seifert, who represented the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, failed both his pre-departure PCR tests and as a result will be taken into quarantine. Immediate advice is that he is experiencing moderate symptoms," New Zealand Cricket said in a statement.

"Once Seifert has undergone treatment and the statutory period of isolation and has tested negative for COVID-19, he will be transferred back to New Zealand where he will undergo the mandatory 14-day period of managed isolation," it further added.

NZC chief executive David White said that he is confident Seifert will get the best medical care in India.

“It’s really unfortunate for Tim and we’ll do everything for him that we can from this end, and hopefully he will be able to test negative, and be cleared and approved for discharge as soon as he’s well again," White said.

“Since receiving the news, we’ve organised support for Tim and have also – via the players association, been in contact with his family to ensure they’re kept fully informed and updated on developments," he added.

Tim Seifert is the third KKR member to contract the Coronavirus. Earlier, Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier tested positive for COVID-19 and as a result, the match between KKR and RCB couldn’t take place on Monday (May 3).