'Shah Rukh sir spoke to us, said there's nothing to worry about': KKR bowler recalls scenes at camp after Covid breakout

Warrier, speaking to News 18, recalls the scenes at KKR camp and revealed how Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge fame, stayed in touch with the players throughout the ordeal.

It must have been a difficult time at the Kolkata Knight Riders camp after two players - Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier- tested positive for Covid-19 inside the team's bio-bubble. The two players were the first ones who were reported positive for the virus during the Indian Premier League 2021 season - and with India reeling with a deadly 2nd outbreak, it could have led to some worry inside the KKR camp. But KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan ensured that the players and the support staff members were taken care of, revealed Warrier in a recent interview.

Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan. (PTI)

The BCCI and the IPL Governing Council decided to suspend the remainder of the IPL 2021 tournament the next day with several players and support staff from various franchises returning a positive test for the virus.

Warrier, speaking to News 18, recalled the scenes at KKR camp and revealed how Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan stayed in touch with the players throughout the ordeal.

"Our team doctor, Shrikant, and our manager (Wayne Bentley) and Raju (logistics) were staying back for me and Varun. They left only after we came negative. So we were fine," he said.

"After we tested positive, we had to isolate the whole team. The next day, IPL was called off. We had a virtual meeting in which everyone was asking about me and Varun.

"Shah Rukh sir also spoke to everyone saying you all will be taken back home safely and that there is nothing to worry about. For me and Varun, he was very adamant that there should be someone with us for the whole one week or 10 days after the tournament ended," he further revealed.

"Venky (Mysore, CEO) sir also stayed back for three days," Warrier further added.

Speaking on his recovery process, Warrier admitted that he feels tired after a training session.

"I’ve been training for the past week. I am feeling a lot better now. The advantage was that, even in the first test where I came positive (for COVID-19), my reading was very low. In the first RT-PCR test itself, my reading was around 25. By the second test itself, it came to 31. In the subsequent tests, it came negative. The COVID effect was not very high, but I feel the post-covid has affected me quite a bit. I have been training for the last one week, and that alone is taking a toll on me," he said.

"Before COVID when I was with the KKR team, training was not difficult. I guess it will take a week or so more to be back on track. During COVID, I didn’t have many symptoms. After that, after I started training, breathing was a bit difficult. I was getting tired easily, I’m still recovering from a training perspective," he signed off.