With the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises all set to leave for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), they have started to conduct the COVID-19 test of the players. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni underwent his coronavirus test on Wednesday.

According the standard operating procedures (SOP) set by the BCCI and the IPL Governning Council, all the members travelling with the franchises will have to test negative before boarding the flight to UAE.

As per a report in Hindustan Times, the micro praxis lab at private Guru Nanak hospital took Dhoni’s sample from his farmhouse in Simaliya in Ranchi. Other than the former Indian captain, Monu Kumar Singh also submitted his sample to the same lab. The results are expected to come by Thursday afternoon.

If both the players’ COVID-19 test reports come negative, they will be traveling to Chennai where CSK has reportedly decided to organise a five-day camp before flying to UAE.

Meanwhile, the CSK chief executive Kasi Viswanathan had earlier said that they were keen to have Dhoni as their captain till at least the 2022 edition of IPL. Dhoni, however, will turn 41 during that time.

Even though Dhoni’s comeback to the national team remains under doubt after this year’s T20 World Cup was also postponed, the wicketkeeper-batsman remains an influential figure in Indian cricket and has personally dropped no hint of retiring from international cricket.

The CSK chief executive, though, is confident of getting Dhoni’s service for another two years in IPL.

“We don’t worry about him at all. Yes, we can expect MS Dhoni to be part of both (IPL seasons in 2020 and 2021) and probably for even the next year, 2022,” Viswanathan told India Today television late Tuesday.

Dhoni, who has led CSK to IPL glory on three ocassions, and remains the only player to have captained the yellow team since the inception of the tournament in 2008.

Viswanathan further said that he is aware how Dhoni has been training in indoor nets in Ranchi.

Viswanathan said he had only seen media reports that Dhoni has been training in indoor nets in his home state of Jharkand.

“But we don’t have to worry about the skipper,” he said. “He knows his responsibilities and he will take care of himself and the team.”