IPL 2021: Match referee Manu Nayyar leaves bubble after mother's death

New Delhi: Match referee Manu Nayyar left the Indian Premier league (IPL) bio-bubble in Ahmedabad following the death of his mother. Nayyar last officiated in Tuesday’s match between Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore which the latter won by just one run at the Narendra Modi Stadium. “It happened last night as she didn’t wake up in the morning. Manu left the bubble and is in Delhi today. We are not sure if he will join the bubble again,” an IPL source close to the match referee told PTI. Nayyar, a former Delhi Ranji Trophy player, had officiated in the Mumbai leg of IPL matches before being assigned for the Ahmedabad leg. It is learnt that he reached Delhi on Thursday to join his family. The cause of death of Nayyar’s mother could not be confirmed. Earlier in the day, India’s top umpire Nitin Menon pulled out of the lucrative league after his family was struck by a couple of COVID-19 cases, while his Australian counterpart Paul Reiffel’s attempts at leaving hit a dead end because of his country’s suspension of air travel with India. Menon, a resident of Indore, left the IPL bio-bubble after his wife and mother tested positive for COVID-19. Menon is the only Indian in the ICC elite panel of umpires and was recently praised for his work during India’s home series against England.