NEW DELHI: Top Indian players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma could be left stranded in pandemic-stricken Mumbai when senior players start training again, an official has warned.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could allow outdoor training as early as next week when a further easing of the government’s nationwide coronavirus lockdown is to start.

But Mumbai, where national captain Kohli and batsman Sharma are based, is at the forefront of India’s battle against the pandemic, and tough restrictions are expected to be maintained there.

“For players like Kohli and Rohit, the restrictions are there in Mumbai and might stay,” BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal said.

Mumbai has recorded almost 1,000 coronavirus deaths and accounts for more than a third of India’s fatalities so far. The number of new cases is still rising.

Dhumal said that following government talk of further easing its nearly two-month-old lockdown, ‘some skill-based training’ outdoors could be possible in other parts of India.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2020