The BCCI has issued an official statement confirming that seven members of the Indian cricket team – four players and three support staff members – had tested positive for Covid-19, and informed that opener Mayank Agarwal has been added to the 18-member India squad that will begin its six limited-overs matches against West Indies with the first ODI on Sunday, February 6.
"The All-India Senior Selection Committee has added Mayank Agarwal to India's ODI squad after seven members, including three players of Team India (Senior Men) tested positive for Covid-19 following three rounds of RT-PCR testing," the BCCI said in a statement.
"The members were asked to report in Ahmedabad on 31st January 2022 for the upcoming three-match ODI and T20I series against the West Indies. Every member was also asked to undergo an RT-PCR test at home before embarking on their journey to Ahmedabad and the travel was undertaken only after testing negative."
The release further stated that Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer and Ruturaj Gaikwad were indeed the three players to have tested positive, along with stand-by bowler Navdeep Saini. Fielding Coach T Dilip, security Liaison officer B Lokesh and sports massage therapist Rajeev Kumar have contracted the virus too.
{{/usCountry}}The release further stated that Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer and Ruturaj Gaikwad were indeed the three players to have tested positive, along with stand-by bowler Navdeep Saini. Fielding Coach T Dilip, security Liaison officer B Lokesh and sports massage therapist Rajeev Kumar have contracted the virus too.
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"Opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan and fast bowler Navdeep Saini's (standby player) RT-PCR tests conducted on Monday (January 31st) have returned positive results. Fielding Coach T. Dilip and Security Liaison Officer B. Lokesh's RT-PCR tests conducted on Monday (January 31st) have returned positive results, the release mentioned.
"Ruturaj Gaikwad's RT-PCR test conducted on Tuesday (February 1st) has returned a positive result. He had tested negative during the first round of testing on Monday. Shreyas Iyer and Sports Massage Therapist Rajeev Kumar's RT-PCR tests conducted on Wednesday (February 2nd) have returned positive results. Both had tested negative in the first two rounds of testing."
The Covid hit players will now remain in isolation for a minimum of seven days, all but shutting their chances of playing the ODIs against West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The development comes as a bummer for fans and followers of Dhawan as the left-handed batter is only part of the ODI squad and not the T20Is. The same applies for Gaikwad, who, despite being part of the Indian ODI squad in South Africa did not get a game after he had set the Vijay Hazare Tournament on fire.
The ODIs in Ahmedabad will be played inside closed doors while the three ODIs to be played at the Eden Gardens will witness a 75 percent attendance from the Kolkata crowd.