IPL 2021: Daniel Sams tests positive for COVID-19

Royal Challengers Bangalore has affirmed that their new recruit Daniel Sams has tested positive for COVID-19. The Australia all-rounder is the second player from the Bangalore-based franchise to contract the virus. RCB opening batsman Devdutt Padikkal is currently under quarantine. The Karnataka batsman had tested positive on March 22 and has been isolating at his home in Bengaluru since then.

Unlike Padikkal, Daniel Sams joined the RCB team in Chennai before being tested positive. According to the statement from the IPL franchise, the 28-year old all-rounder arrived in Chennai on April 3 and tested negative. However, his report from the second test on Wednesday returned positive. Royal Challengers Bangalore also stated that their all-rounder is not showing any symptoms and is currently in isolation.

Daniel Sams set to miss the first two games for RCB

The reports signify that the Australian player Daniel Sams is going to miss at least the first two games for the franchise. Virat Kohli & Co. will start their IPL 2021 campaign on April 9 against defending champions Mumbai Indians. Their second match of the season is on April 14, and Sams is likely to miss that game too. During his 10-day isolation period, Daniel Sams will undergo an RT-PCR test on Day 9 and Day 10. He will be allowed to re-enter the team bio-bubble only after both the test results are negative. Meanwhile, Devdutt Padikkal has tested negative but is yet to join the RCB squad in Chennai.

Daniel Sams was all set for his first season with Royal Challengers Bangalore. The left-arm pacer made his IPL debut in 2020 when he plied his trade for Delhi Capitals. But after three wicketless games for them, Delhi Capitals traded him to the RCB. Daniel had a good outing in the last season of the Big Bash League. The 28-year-old impressed everyone with both bat and ball. Playing for Sydney Thunder, he scored 200 runs at a superb strike-rate of 188.67. With the ball, the pacer claimed 11 wickets. He also played a crucial 15-ball 41-run knock against New Zealand during the second match of the T20I series last month.

IPL 2021: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) full squad

Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Devdutt Padikkal, Adam Zampa, Finn Allen, Kane Richardson, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Navdeep Saini, Pavan Deshpande, Shahbaz Ahmed, Yuzvendra Chahal, Daniel Sams, Harshal Patel, Washington Sundar, Sachin Baby, Rajat Patidar, Kyle Jamieson, Dan Christian, Suyash Prabhudessai, KS Bharat

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