Recovering from Covid-19 is like experiencing 'Man vs Wild': Laxmipathy Balaji

On May 2, Laxmipathy Balaji, fast bowler coach of Chennai Super Kings, tested positive for Covid-19. He was among those other players who tested positive after the Indian Premier League (IPL) bubble was breached and Covid-19 spread among the cricketers. Since the BCCI decided to suspend IPL for an indefinite period, Laxmipathy Balaji was quarantining and has finally recovered.

In a recent interview, Balaji told ESPNCricinfo about his quarantining experience and the process of recovery from Covid-19.

Balaji was in Delhi for the match where he tested positive and he has recently returned home after recovering. “As I was isolating on my own having tested positive for Covid-19, a thought crossed my mind: recovering from Covid-19, both physically and mentally, is like experiencing an episode of Man vs Wild,” he told ESPNCricinfo.

In his conversation with the publication, he said he wasn’t sure where he could possibly get the virus because he was following the protocols. “On May 2, I was feeling a bit of uneasiness. I had body ache and a mild nose block. I was tested the same day around mid-afternoon. By May 3 morning, I had tested positive. I was shocked. I had done nothing to breach the norms to endanger my and rest of the bubble's safety,” he told.

He further said, “Was I scared? Initially I could not express my feelings. I knew people were dying outside. It took me another 24 hours to sink in the seriousness of issue once family and friends started to message. I started to get worried. From the second day in isolation I realised I had to monitor myself, recording all the health data. I was obviously anxious.”

“It is a journey of survival is how I look at it,” he told while talking about lakhs of people who have been affected by this virus but not everyone has been able to get through it. “It has been an intense situation. In my career I have encountered several challenges, but it is different battle we are going through dealing with the pandemic,” he told to sum up his pandemic battle.