Covid hits Team India squad ahead of West Indies series

THREE players and a number of non-coaching staff members of the Indian cricket team tested positive ahead of the upcoming twin white-ball series against the West Indies at home starting Sunday (6).

Among the players are opening batter Shikhar Dhawan, reserve opener Ruturaj Gaikwad and middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer. They tested positive during their mandatory isolation period ahead of the three-match one-day international series against the Caribbeans scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad in the western state of Gujarat.

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The Indian squad led by Rohit Sharma assembled in Ahmedabad on January 31 and was going through a three-day isolation period post their break from the previous series played in South Africa.

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“Three players -- Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer and Shikhar Dhawan have tested positive. However there are multiple Covid positive cases among non-coaching administrative support staff. It could be between two to four people,” a veteran Board of Control for Cricket in India official told the Press Trust of India on conditions of anonymity.

The first game of the series will be India’s 1000th match in the 50-day format and it is now certain that the affected trio will miss the historic occasion on the ground as they will have to serve a week-long isolation and return with two negative RT-PCR tests.

It is now likely that M Shahrukh Khan, R Sai Kishore and Rishi Dhawan, who are standbys for the series, will now get an opportunity to make it to the squad.

Venkatesh Iyer could be tried as Sharma’s opening partner in the match.

The two sides will lock horns over a three-T20 international series later at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in the eastern state of West Bengal.

India's cricketing fixtures were hit during the Test series in England last year as the Asians pulled out of the series due to Covid scare with one match to go. It is set to played sometime this year.