Delhi Capitals (DC) all-rounder Axar Patel has recovered from Covid-19 and has joined the squad after staying in a medical facility in Mumbai for three weeks after he had tested positive for the virus. "Smiles and hugs all around as Bapu returned to the DC camp," the Delhi Capitals tweeted with a video of Axar meeting his teammates.
"Aadmi dekh ke hi toh mujhe maza aa raha hai (I'm getting sheer joy just by seeing people)," Patel said in the video.
📹 | Smiles and hugs all around as Bapu returned to the DC camp 😁🤗
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) April 22, 2021
Oh, how we missed you, @akshar2026 💙
P.S. Kya challlaaaaa? 🤭#YehHaiNayiDilli #IPL2021 #DCAllAccess @OctaFX @ITCGrandChola pic.twitter.com/wRl1I1M5dW
Axar is not the only from the DC cap to get hit with a Covid scare. South Africa fast bowler Anrich Nortje had to spend some extra time in quarantine due to a false-positive result for coronavirus.
Devdutt Padikkal, Daniel Sams and Nitish Rana are some of the other IPL cricketers who had tested positive for Covid-19, but have since recovered. While Sams is yet to play for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Padikkal and Rana have already played for their respective franchises this season.
In Axar's absence, DC had roped in left-arm spinner Shams Mulani as a short-term Covid-19 replacement. He will no longer be available for selection since Axar has rejoined the team, according to the IPL rules.
Axar played 15 matches for DC in IPL 2020 in UAE, in which he scored 117 from nine innings and picked up nine wickets at an economy rate of 6.41. DC made it to their first-ever IPL final last season but lost to Mumbai Indians (MI).
DC are set to play Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) next on Sunday (April 25) in Chennai.