Mitchell McClenaghan will turn out for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2020.© AFP
Mitchell McClenaghan is making friends with insects and naming them. That’s not as extraordinary as one might think because he, much like the others in the UAE for the 13th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), has been quarantined in his hotel room. So when an opportunity to ask questions of Zaheer Khan – his IPL team Mumbai Indians‘ Director of Cricket Operations – arose, McClenaghan’s question was quite simple: “Hey @ImZaheer when can I come out of my room please?” Khan was quick to remind his fellow left-armer seamer the rules of the quarantine. “Looks like you have misplaced the quarantine rule book, @Mitch_Savage … I am sending you a fresh one,” Zaheer replied.
Looks like you have misplaced the quarantine rule book, @Mitch_Savage… I am sending you a fresh one
— zaheer khan (@ImZaheer) August 25, 2020
Mumbai Indians hosted a Q&A session with Zaheer on Twitter and his understudy McClenaghan was quick to participate.
The exchange prompted fans to ask more such questions that one would have if quarantined in a room for six days.
“Which 2 players are living on either side of your Room Mitch? And do you talk to them standing in the Balcony?” asked one user.
McClenaghan made his best guess. “I can’t see anyone – although @krunalpandya24 (Krunal Pandya) is 2 floors above me @surya_14kumar (Suryakumar Yadav) 4 floors, and @ImRo45 (Rohit Sharma) a few doors down. I met a fly on my balcony today – I named him Barry.”
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While players have been utilising their quarantine period for workout sessions and virtual team meetings, McClenaghan seems to have other plans.
The IPL begins in the UAE from September 19.