IPL 2021: Axar Patel recovers from COVID-19, joins Delhi Capitals squad

Chennai: Delhi Capitals and India all-rounder Axar Patel has rejoined his Indian Premier League side after staying in a medical care facility in Mumbai for nearly three weeks following a positive test result for COVID-19. The 27-year-old had initially checked into the Capitals’ team hotel on 28 March in Mumbai. While he had entered the bubble with a negative test report, he had returned positive for the virus on April 3 and was transferred to BCCI’s designated medical facility after it was learnt that he showed mild symptoms. “Smiles and hugs all around as Bapu returned to the DC camp,” the Delhi Capitals tweeted with a video of Axar meeting his teammates.

📹 | Smiles and hugs all around as Bapu returned to the DC camp 😁🤗

Oh, how we missed you, @akshar2026 💙

P.S. Kya challlaaaaa? 🤭#YehHaiNayiDilli #IPL2021 #DCAllAccess @OctaFX @ITCGrandChola pic.twitter.com/wRl1I1M5dW

— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) April 22, 2021

“Aadmi dekh ke hi toh mujhe maza aa raha hai (I’m getting sheer joy just by seeing people),” Patel said in the video. Axar was the second IPL player to get infected by the virus after Royal Challengers Bangalore opener Devdutt Padikkal. There have also been a couple of incidents of false positives in the team with Axar’s DC teammate South African pacer Anrich Nortje needing to spend an extended period of time in quarantine due to a false positive result for COVID-19. Nitish Rana had also tested positive after joining the Kolkata Knight Riders camp but his next RT-PCR result turned out to be negative. In Axar’s absence, the Capitals had roped in young Mumbai left-arm spinner Shams Mulani as IPL’s first short-term COVID-19 replacement. The Capitals are slated to take on Sunrisers Hyderabad here on Sunday.