"I'm doing fine and humbled by all the love" - Shikhar Dhawan responds after testing positive ahead of WI series
Team India opener Shikhar Dhawan has tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the limited-overs series against West Indies.
Along with the 36-year-old, batters Shreyas Iyer and Ruturaj Gaikwad and reserve player Navdeep Saini have also contracted the virus, putting the upcoming series in jeopardy.
Wishes have poured in for the cricketers ever since the news broke on the internet. Responding to all the love, Shikhar Dhawan expressed his gratitude.
Taking to Twitter, the cricketer from Delhi wrote:
"Thank you everyone for your wishes. I'm doing fine and humbled by all the love that's come my way."
Three of India's support staff members have also tested positive for COVID-19, including fielding coach T Dilip.
All squad members have been isolated from the remaining players and will remain in quarantine until a complete recovery is attained. The BCCI medical team is currently looking after the cricketers.
Mayank Agarwal added to India's ODI squad
India have called up Mayank Agarwal for the three-match ODI series against West Indies in the wake of COVID-19 cases in the Indian camp.
"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," the BCCI said in a statement.
The Karnataka-born cricketer, who has five ODI matches under his belt, last represented India in a 50-over game way back in 2020 against Australia in Sydney. He has so far accumulated 86 runs with the best score of 32.
India's updated ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Mayank Agarwal.