India Tour of Sri Lanka: 9 players including Krunal Pandya ruled out of T20 series — Despite 8 close contacts of Krunal Pandya testing negative for Covid in the fresh round of RT-PCR test, all of them have been ruled out of the remaining two matches of the T20 series, set to conclude on July 29. It raises the question of whether India will be able to field a team for the 2nd T20 on July 28 and the 3rd on July 29.
Among the 8 close contacts, most are cricketers including Suryakumar Yadav and Prithvi Shaw. As per ESPNcricinfo, all the close contacts apart from Krunal Pandya will not be allowed to travel to the ground. However, InsideSport could not verify the exact number of the cricketers.
India Tour of Sri Lanka: As per Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 protocols, close contacts have to be in a minimum 3-day isolation period even if they test negative during the time. As Shikhar Dhawan led Team India are supposed to be back on July 30, it is unlikely that the series will be extended beyond that day.
If that is the case, India are left with only 16 players including five uncapped net bowlers. While India will have 11 players to field the squad will be vastly imbalanced with many first-team players currently in isolation at the Taj Samudra hotel in Colombo.
On Tuesday, Krunal Pandya tested positive in a Rapid Antigen test after complaining of a sore throat. After that, he also returned a COVID positive result in an RT-PCR test.
India Tour of Sri Lanka- IND vs SL 2nd T20 postponed: Will the series go on?
- All 8 close contacts of Krunal Pandya tested negative for the virus.
- But they will not be allowed to travel to the ground and will remain in isolation for three days as per Sri Lanka’s COVID guidelines.
- Krunal Pandya will have to stay in mandatory 7-day isolation.
- Krunal will not be able to return to India without three negative RT-PCR tests.
- With most of the close contacts being cricketers, India will be left with a vastly depleted and imbalanced squad to field 11 players on the two match days.
- Sri Lankan cricketers will take an RT-PCR test on Wednesday morning.
- As per BCCI and SLC, the two remaining matches will be played on July 28 & 29.
“If everyone is in the clear, we can have the match on Wednesday. Maximum among the eight close contacts who are also in mandatory isolation are players,” a BCCI source told PTI.
India Tour of Sri Lanka: But for Krunal Pandya, he will remain in isolation for 7 days as per Sri Lanka’s COVID protocols and is ruled out of the entire series. He will also not be able to return to India with the squad on July 30 due to the same reason. Before leaving isolation, Krunal Pandya will have to produce three negative RT-PCR tests.
India Tour of Sri Lanka: Meanwhile, it will be a blow for BCCI’s plans to fly Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav to England after they were called up to join the Virat Kohli led side as injury replacements. The duo was set to leave for England on July 30 but are amongst the 8 players who are close contacts of Krunal Pandya. It means, the plans to fly them to the UK will be delayed and they are doubtful even for the 2nd Test starting on August 12.
| India tour of Sri Lanka 2021 – T20I series – Timing 8 PM | |||
| S.No. | Date | Match | Venue |
| 1 | 28th July | 2nd T20I | Colombo |
| 2 | 29th July | 3rd T20I | Colombo |
India Tour fo Sri Lanka: India full squad:
India’s squad: Shikhar Dhawan (Captain), Prithvi Shaw, Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Suryakumar Yadav, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Rana, Ishan Kishan (Wicket-keeper), Sanju Samson (Wicket-keeper), Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar, K Gowtham, Krunal Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Vice-captain), Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini, Chetan Sakariya
Net Bowlers: Ishan Porel, Sandeep Warrier, Arshdeep Singh, Sai Kishore, Simarjeet Singh.
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