Saturday Sep 21, 2024
Saturday Sep 21, 2024
Thursday, 29 July 2021 01:30 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
India was left to field a depleted side for yesterday’s second T20I against Sri Lanka, even though the eight close contacts with all-rounder Krunal Pandya, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, had themselves tested ‘negative’.
Pandya, according to reports, has been forced out of the series as he will undergo seven days of isolation, while all of his eight close contacts, who are mostly players, as a precautionary measure were not able to take the field yesterday despite testing negative.
According to Sri Lanka’s health and safety protocols, Krunal will not be able to travel back to India with other members of the contingent on 30 July as he will now have to undergo mandatory isolation and obtain a negative RT-PCR report.
The Indian Express, cited an anonymous BCCI source as saying to the PTI that Krunal was “symptomatic with cough and throat pain,” that he was “out of the series” and that he would “not be able to return with the rest of the squad”.
“However, the good news is that all his eight close contacts who were identified by the BCCI medical officer (Dr. Abhijit Salvi) have tested negative. But as a precautionary measure can’t take the field,” the source added.
The Indian team has enough players with negative RT-PCR reports in their 20-member squad to put out a team for the two remaining T20I against Sri Lanka, although they will be depleted.
Deepak Chahar, Manish Pandey, the Pandya brothers Krunal and Hardik, Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan are among the players India missed in yesterday’s game. They had only four frontline batters in their line-up available – Shikhar Dhawan, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson and Nitish Rana.
Four players Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Chetan Sakariya and Nitish Rana were given their T20I caps as India underwent seven changes from the side that won the first T20I by 38 runs.
Sri Lanka made two changes with Sadeera Samarawickrama and Ramesh Mendis taking the place of Charith Asalanka (who failed a fitness test on his hamstring) and Ashen Bandara. (ST)
