Mumbai, May 27: India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Thursday said he had to leave the IPL midway as almost everyone in his family got infected with COVID-19 and he had sleepless nights worrying about their safety while he was playing in the T20 competition.

Eventually, the IPL was suspended after multiples cases were reported in its bio-bubble.

"Almost everyone from my place had got affected due to Covid. In fact, few of my cousins also got admitted and were serious and they somehow recovered," said Ashwin on his Youtube channel.

"I couldn't sleep for almost 8-9 days. Since I couldn't sleep, it was really stressful for me. I was playing matches without getting any sleep. And since I found it really taxing, I had to quit IPL and go home midway.

"In fact, when I left, around that time, I had thoughts on whether I will be able to play cricket thereafter. But still, I did what was required at that point of time."

The premier India spinner said he was considering returning to the IPL as his family members started getting better but the tournament was eventually suspended.

"I thought there won't be any cricket for some time. Even IPL got postponed. In between, when people in my house started recovering, I thought of coming back into the IPL and that's when IPL was called off," he added.

Ashwin is currently serving his 14-day quarantine with the Indian team ahead of the UK tour comprising the World Test Championship final against New Zealand and five Tests against England.

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Pilibhit (PTI): A 19-day-old elephant calf, brought from Bijnor, was placed under care at the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) on Sunday, an official said and added that the calf got separated from its mother in the forest area of Bijnor.

The calf was born on December 2 in the Bijnor forest area and got separated from its mother shortly after birth, the official said.

The forest department made several attempts to reunite it with its mother, but without any success. To ensure the calf's safety and better care, it was decided to transfer it to the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve on the instructions of senior officials.

On Saturday, Deputy Director Manish Singh received the calf. Special arrangements have been made in the reserve for its care. It has been kept in a safe and clean environment to provide it with a natural setting and protect it from external noise and disturbances.

Singh told reporters that raising an 19-day-old calf is challenging.

It requires a special diet as a substitute for mother's milk and constant monitoring.

He said a special team has been formed to provide 24-hour care. Since the calf is very young, it is being cared for like a newborn baby.

According to Singh, the primary responsibility for monitoring the calf's health has been entrusted to PTR's veterinarian, Dr Daksh Gangwar. Under his supervision, a complete record of the calf's health checkups, diet, and body temperature is being maintained. The team is ensuring that the calf does not contract any infection.