Reports | Indian player in England tests COVID-19 positive

India have been handed a piece of bad news as one of the 23 travelling players in the United Kingdom has tested positive for the delta variant of COVID-19, which has now ruled the player out of the upcoming warm-up match against Select County XI. The player in question, according to Sports Tak, is wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant, and he will now not travel with the team to Durham on Thursday, and instead will spend time in isolation at a relative’s house in the country. 

PTI reported that the BCCI secretary Jay Shah had warned the players not to travel to crowded places, like Wimbledon and the Euro Championships. With the Indian team kick-starting their practice for the five-match series, the affected player would now miss out on the warm-up fixture before the series. However, on the other hand, Cricbuzz has reported that there could be high chances of the virus affecting more than one player in the Indian camp.

"Yes, one of the players has tested positive although he is largely asymptomatic currently. He is in quarantine at an acquaintance's place and won't be travelling with the team to Durham on Thursday," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

In addition, the BCCI, according to reports, have remained tight-lipped about the player’s identity, with the much-awaited Test series set to begin on August 4, as India aim to kick off the second edition of the World Test Championship with a bang.