Ahmedabad: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has added Mayank Agarwal to India’s ODI squad on Wednesday (February 2) for the West Indies series after seven members, including three players, tested positive for Covid-19 following rounds of RT-PCR testing.
Shikhar Dhawan and Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shreyas Iyer are the three players who have tested positive for Covid-19, the BCCI said in a statement. Fast bowler (standby) Navdeep Saini also tested positive for Covid-19. India fielding Coach T. Dilip, sports massage therapist Rajeev Kumar and security liaison officer B. Lokesh’s also tested positive.
According to BCCI, the members were asked to report in Ahmedabad on 31st January 2022 for the upcoming three-match ODI and T20I series against West Indies.
“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,” 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,” BCCI said in a statement.
“Opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan and fast bowler Navdeep Saini’s (standby player) RT-PCR tests conducted on Monday (January 31st) have returned positive results,” it added.
As per the original schedule, the series was slated to take place over six venues Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Kolkata were to host three ODIs on February 6, 9 and 12, while the three T20Is were scheduled in Cuttack, Visakhapatnam and Thiruvananthapuram on February 15, 18 and 20.
The BCCI, however, keeping in mind the Covid-19 situation in India, decided to reduce the venue from six to two in order to avoid any unwanted hassle and the pandemic from affecting the series. Despite those plans in place, the virus has managed to creep in the Indian camp only four days before the start of the tour.
India will take on to West Indies in a 3-match series from February 6 in Ahmedabad following which they will play 3 T20Is from February 16 onwards in Kolkata.
