Cricket Australia pledges AUD 50,000 to aid India’s fight against COVID

Cricket Australia has pledged 50,000 Australian dollars to help India in the battle against the second wave of COVID-19. CA also revealed that it is looking to raise more funds in partnership with its players’ association and UNICEF.

India has been registering alarming COVID-19 numbers over the past month. Daily cases have touched the four-lakh mark, and the death toll is now around 3,000 per day. The country is also battling a severe shortage of oxygen supplies and other medical facilities.

In an official statement, CA informed:

“Australian Cricket will throw its support behind India’s COVID-19 Crisis Appeal, with Cricket Australia, the Australian Cricketers; Association and UNICEF Australia partnering to raise much needed funds. Australian Cricket has been deeply saddened by the devastation caused by this second coronavirus wave to hit India, a country with which Australians share a strong friendship and connection."

CA added:

“Cricket Australia will make an initial donation of AUD 50,000 and encourage Australians everywhere to give generously at this crucial time in India’s COVID-19 response.”

The funds raised by CA will be donated to UNICEF Australia and will be utilized for relief measures in India.

The CA statement further read:

“UNICEF Australia’s India COVID-19 Crisis Appeal is procuring and installing Oxygen Generation Plants in hospitals to treat seriously ill patients, providing testing equipments in heavily impacted districts and supporting the distribution of COVID-19 vaccine via the COVAX initiative.”

Australian Cricket will throw its support behind the India COVID-19 Crisis Appeal by partnering with the @ACA_Players and @unicefaustralia to raise much needed funds.Donate to UNICEF Australia’s India COVID-19 Crisis Appeal: https://t.co/JWpslbtY2j pic.twitter.com/E0CMow6h8z

— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) May 2, 2021

A few days back, Aussie and KKR pacer Pat Cummins donated $50,000 to PM Cares Fund for the purchase of oxygen supplies for Indian hospitals.

KKR-RCB match rescheduled as players test COVID positive

In a related development, Monday’s IPL 2021 match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has been rescheduled.

According to reports, two players from KKR - Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier - have tested positive for the coronavirus.

ANI quoted a BCCI official as saying:

"Varun and Sandeep tested positive and that made the RCB camp wary of the situation. The game is set to be postponed."

🚨 BREAKING 🚨According reports, tonight’s game has been rescheduled due a COVID-19 scare. The KKR players and staff are isolating after multiple players fell ill. 📸 IPL#IPL2021 #KKRvRCB pic.twitter.com/x2baBvKN9C

— Sportskeeda India (@Sportskeeda) May 3, 2021

Earlier, Delhi Capitals' Axar Patel, KKR’s Nitish Rana and RCB’s Devdutt Padikkal also tested positive for COVID-19. However, they later tested negative and have been taking part in IPL 2021 matches.