Wellington: New Zealand head coach Gary Stead on Tuesday revealed that wicket-keeper batsman Tim Seifert, who was part of Kolkata Knight Riders in the currently-suspended IPL 2021, has tested negative for Covid-19 and will be leaving India shortly.
Seifert had returned a positive test after the tournament was suspended in the wake of rising Covid-19 cases in its bio-bubble.
“I heard from Tim just a little while ago. I think the really encouraging thing is he’s tested negative and my understanding is he’s on a flight out of India pretty quickly as well,” Stead was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
“I don’t know how long it’s going to take him to get back to New Zealand or where he’s heading via, but it’s great news for Tim that for a start his health is on the improve anyway, to the point where he’s not testing positive anymore,” he added.
Seifert, who didn’t play any game this season, was the third player from the KKR squad to test positive after Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier.
As a result, he was unable to join the rest of the New Zealanders at the IPL on a charter flight back home immediately after the tournament was called off.
The 26-year-old Seifert was initially isolating in Ahmedabad, but was later transferred to the same private facility in Chennai where Chennai Super Kings’ batting coach Mike Hussey was being treated after he, too, tested positive for the virus.
Seifert has played 3 ODIs and 35 T20 Internationals for the New Zealand. (UNI)