After Rishabh Pant, support staff tests positive; Wriddhiman Saha isolated as a close contact

Tags: India tour of England, 2021, India, England, Rishabh Rajendra Pant, Wriddhiman Prasanta Saha, COVID-19

Published on: Jul 16, 2021

In what was inevitable, COVID-19 has hit the Indian camp in England. After it was revealed that wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant is COVID-positive, support staff Dayananda Garani has also returned a positive test. The other wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha has also been forced into isolation after being identified as as a close contact. As for Pant, he will have to get a negative test on Sunday to quit the quarantine and join the team. Bowling coach Bharat Arun is also isolating after he too was found to be a close contact.

Sources confirmed to ANI, "Yes Dayananda has tested positive, but luckily he wasn't around too many members of the team. Saha unfortunately will have to isolate as he was a close contact. Hopefully, he returns negative tests too as Rishabh is also currently down and a subsequent test will give more clarity."

Earlier, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice-President Rajiv Shukla assured that things are fine the Indian camp and that all necessary protocols are being followed in the wake of the latest developments. Shukla assured that there was nothing much to worry about.

“Team India is fine there is no problem, secretary Jay Shah has written a letter to team management everybody should follow the COVID protocols, strict measures whatever could be adopted as per the recommendations must be followed and all safety precautions should be taken and the team has to be very careful during the England tour,” Shukla told ANI.

‘’One player has been found positive, he was asymptomatic, I won’t disclose the name. He was not staying in the team hotel, he is staying with relatives and is recovering very well. He is in isolation, he was found positive 8 days back. He will be tested again after two days,” Shukla added.

“We are taking all the precautions during the series, everybody is put in the bubble so since it was a long gap of one month so players were allowed to go around. I don’t think that they can be constantly kept in a bubble. We are not that worried because the rest of the players are fine they will be heading to Durham. Who is in isolation will not travel with the rest of the team. Once they test negative, then only they can proceed ahead.” he reassured.

Having been given a break from the bio-bubble, the Indian team will now face a County Championship XI team from July 20 to 22 in Durham. The game has been arranged by ECB following a request placed by the BCCI.

--By A Cricket Correspondent

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