IND vs SL T20 Series: Multiple Indian players isolated; unavailable for next matches

Both the BCCI and Sri Lanka Cricket have announced that the second Twenty20 match between India and Sri Lanka will take place today. Unfortunately, nine Indian cricketers would be missing from the encounter. This includes Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan, opener Devdutt Padikkal, and off-spinner Krishnappa Gowtham, according to available information. All of these cricketers are regarded close contacts of Krunal Pandya’s COVID-19 positive case in the team.

The good news is that in the first RT PCR test on Tuesday, all eight close contacts tested negative. According to a source in Sri Lanka Cricket, all Indian and Sri Lankan cricketers would be tested again on Wednesday morning.

The source said, “both teams will be retested in morning. Few of the Indian cricketers are in complete isolation and they will not play any further part in the series. We at SLC are all monitoring the situation. We are sure today’s match will go ahead.”

Despite the fact that eight of Krunal Pandya’s close friends tested negative for Covid in a new round of RT-PCR tests, they have all been ruled out of the T20 series’ final two matches, which will be played on July 29. Now it’s unclear whether India will be able to field a team for the second T20 on July 28 and the third on July 29. According to Rapid Antigen tests conducted prior to Tuesday’s game, Krunal tested positive for Covid-19. An RTPCR test was ordered after the player was placed in isolation.

The fact that both Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav are among the eight players identified as Krunal’s close associates is particularly concerning. Shaw and Yadav were picked as replacements on Monday for the flight from Colombo to England, where they would join the Indian team preparing for the five Test matches against England. While Shaw and Yadav will play the final two Twenty20 Internationals in Colombo, it is evident that they will not be able to travel to England anytime soon.