3 Indian players who tested positive for COVID-19 at the wrong time
The lethal COVID-19 virus has affected everyone, including the Indian cricket team. Since 2020, a number of series and tournaments had to be pushed back as the world came to a standstill.
Even the Indian Premier League 2021 was suspended midway through and had to be conducted later in the year after a few players tested positive inside the secure bio-bubble. Other major tournaments also took a hit, with the ICC Women's World Cup being postponed as well.
During these tough times, players had to go through one bio-bubble after another, only to take part in a series. They sacrificed family time to play for their country. This is why mental health breaks are being encouraged time and again.
It's not been an easy environment for cricketers to thrive in and the teams have had to deal with their players dropping out of games time and again due to the deadly virus. In this article, we will take a look at three Indian cricketers who tested positive for COVID-19 at the wrong time.
#1 Rohit Sharma
UPDATE - #TeamIndia Captain Mr Rohit Sharma has tested positive for COVID-19 following a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) conducted on Saturday. He is currently in isolation at the team hotel and is under the care of the BCCI Medical Team.
The Indian captain was one of the recent few cricketers to be infected by the virus. With India set to play their rescheduled fifth Test against England at Edgbaston earlier this month, Rohit Sharma tested positive for COVID-19 just a few days before the match.
Some reports suggested that the opening batter could be back for the game, but he didn't make a recovery in time, missing out on a crucial contest. India were leading the five-match Test series 2-1 heading into this Test.
The skipper's absence was a huge blow to the Indian side. Not only did India miss an experienced campaigner but also a flourishing opening batter. Jasprit Bumrah led the Test side for the first time but couldn't manage to keep England at bay, as Ben Stokes' side drew the series level with a win.
#2 KL Rahul
Indian vice-captain KL Rahul addressing the candidates attending the Level 3 coaching at NCA. https://t.co/n1nVj7qyxV
As India gear up to take on the West Indies for a white-ball tour of the Caribbean that gets underway on July 22, they've been dealt another major blow. Ravindra Jadeja is a doubt for the series, while KL Rahul has tested positive for COVID-19.
The Bangalore batter, in particular, has been plagued by a number of injuries in recent times. After returning to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) from his groin surgery in Germany, Rahul was all set to join the Indian side on this tour.
With other senior names like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma missing from this tour, it was an ideal opportunity to slot back into the side as a senior pro. However, it's unfortunate that he's contracted the virus and might miss out on this series altogether.
#3 Rishabh Pant
The Indian wicketkeeper-batter was one of the two team members to test positive for COVID-19 in the UK last year. After India played in the World Test Championship final in Southampton, the team was given a 20-day break ahead of their five-match Test series against England.
Rishabh Pant and a member of the team staff tested positive ahead of the series, putting the series at risk. The left-handed batter missed the team's warm-up match against County Select XI but fortunately recovered in time for the first game of the series.