Devdutt Padikkal, who had tested positive for Covid-19 on March 22 and had been quarantining at home since then, has travelled to Chennai and linked up with the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad after returning "negative reports for Covid-19 as per the BCCI's protocols".

Announcing the update, the Royal Challengers said in a statement that the franchise's medical team was "in constant touch with Devdutt to ensure his safety and well-being".

In a video released by the team on Twitter, Padikkal said, "As per BCCI and IPL protocol, I had to quarantine at home for two weeks. Now I have joined the camp after two negative tests, and I am feeling completely fine now, and I just can't wait to get back out there and join the RCB camp."

The Royal Challengers' first game of IPL 2021 is the tournament opener against the Mumbai Indians in Chennai on April 9. Their second match is on April 14, against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, also in Chennai.

Bold Diaries: Devdutt Padikkal joins the RCB camp after testing negative for COVID-19. He's healthy, feeling better and raring to go. Here's a message to all RCB fans from Devdutt.#PlayBold #WeAreChallengers #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/BtVszNABJW

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) April 7, 2021

It is unclear if Paddikal will have to go through the mandatory hard quarantine for seven more days. According to The Hindu, the Royal Challengers' head coach Simon Katich said in a media interaction on Tuesday that the team had been told Paddikal would not have to quarantine upon his return. If that were true, he would be available for the season-opener against Mumbai.

Padikkal was the leading run-scorer for the Royal Challengers in IPL 2020, his debut season, scoring 473 runs at an average of 31.53 and a strike rate of 124.80. Coming into this season, he had a stellar Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy too, tallying 218 runs in six innings at an average of 43.60 and a strike rate of 134.56.

Also on Wednesday, it emerged that Daniel Sams, the Royal Challengers' Australian allrounder, had tested positive for Covid-19. According to a statement tweeted by the Royal Challengers, Sams had returned a negative test upon his arrival in Chennai on April 3. A second test on April 7, however, returned a positive result, as a result of which he had to go into isolation at a designated medical facility.

Since Sams, who is asymptomatic, has been in quarantine since his arrival in India, he had not yet made contact with any other player or Royal Challengers staff member.

More to follow…