Preparations for the remainder of the Indian Premier League 2021 are under way and Delhi Capitals became the latest team to begin training.
A limited contingent of the 2020 IPL finalists is currently in the UAE and they concluded their quarantine over the weekend. The players hit the ground running at the ICC Academy in Dubai in preparation for the resumption of the league on September 19.
IPL 2021 was suspended in in May after several players and backroom staff tested positive for the coronavirus amid a devastating second wave of Covid-19 in India. The tournament was then moved to the UAE with the final set for October 15.
The break was challenging for many players but a blessing in disguise for batsman Shreyas Iyer. The Delhi batsman had dislocated his shoulder against England in April and had originally been ruled out of the IPL. But with the extended break, he has regained fitness and is part of the first batch of players in the UAE after completing five months of intense rehabilitation following surgery.
"I have attained 100 per cent fitness. No concerns whatsoever," Iyer told the Press Trust of India. "I feel very comfortable, fresh and I'm in a good mind space. This [surgery] was something I had to do, and I am happy that I can now move forward."
The Delhi Capitals will take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL opener on September 22 at the Dubai International Stadium.
