Ind vs SL 2021: List of players/personnel who tested positive for COVID-19
The limited-overs series between India and Sri Lanka has been postponed after ace all-rounder Krunal Pandya tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday morning.
BCCI's medical team has identified eight cricketers who came in contact with Krunal and has been advised to stay in isolation. However, no Sri Lankan cricketers have been tested COVID-19 positive, reports suggest.
Thus, the organizers were forced to reschedule the 2nd T20I to July 28 (Wednesday) in place of July 27 while the 3rd match of the series will go as per schedule. The BCCI released a statement confirming the same. They wrote:
"The second T20I between Sri Lanka and India originally scheduled to be played on July 27 has been pushed forward by a day and will now take place on Wednesday, July 28."
"Following the Rapid Antigen Tests conducted ahead of the match on Tuesday morning, Team India all-rounder Krunal Pandya was found to be positive. The Medical Teams have identified eight members as close contacts," it added.
Meanwhile, this is not the first time a personnel involved in the ongoing series has tested positive. Previously, a couple of Sri Lanka support staffs followed by a cricketer had tested positive for the deadly virus.
On that note, let's take a look at the cricketers/personnel who have tested positive for COVID-19:
Grant Flower
Sri Lanka's batting coach Grant Flower had tested positive for COVID-19 on July 9, only a couple of days ahead of the start of the series. The former Zimbabwe batsman tested positive 48 hours after the squad’s arrival from England.
The news came in the wake of seven members of England's squad and support staff contracting the deadly virus. He was immediately isolated after showing mild symptoms which later forced Sri Lankan Cricket to postpone the start of the ODI series.
It was due to commence on July 13 but was deferred until July 18.
Grant Flower later on tested negative and joined the squad ahead of the start of the series.
GT Niroshan
A day after Sri Lanka's batting coach Grant Flower tested COVID-19 positive, men's team data analyst GT Niroshan also tested positive for the deadly virus. Like Flower, he was also immediately moved to an intermediate care facility.
Niroshan was among the squad that landed in Sri Lanka from the UK. It was believed that he was carrying the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus, which is more contagious and deadly.
A couple of days later Niroshan tested negative, joined the squad and has been with them so far in the series.
Sandun Weerakkodi
After Grant Flower and GT Niroshan tested positive, which forced Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to postpone the series by two days, another cricketer Sandun Weerakkodi contracted the deadly virus.
Reports suggest that Weerakkodi was with the 15 senior cricketers who were training here while staying at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel. The entire group, including Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Angelo Perera, were among others were forced to undergo quarantine.
Although he recovered from COVID-19, the young batsman was not included in the ODI and T20I squad against India.
Krunal Pandya
Hours ahead of the 2nd T20I between India and Sri Lanka, the BCCI said in a statement that all-rounder Krunal Pandya had tested positive for COVID-19. The results came positive after the Rapid Antigen Tests conducted ahead of the match on Tuesday morning.
The BCCI medical team have identified eight cricketers who came close to Krunal and have been advised to isolate them. The entire Indian squad is scheduled to undergo another set of COVID-19 tests later today to find out if any other cricketer is carrying the virus.
Meanwhile, the second T20I has been pushed by a day and will now take place on July 28 while the third and final match of the tour will go ahead as per the schedule on July 29.