The news of Indian wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant testing positive for COVID-19 rocked the cricketing world on Thursday (July 15). Pant is part of the current Indian Test squad which is in the UK for the five-match Test series against hosts England that gets underway next month. Team India played the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) against New Zealand last month following which the players were given a 20-day break.
Pant tested positive for the infection during the break and is reportedly isolating at a friend’s place in England. After the news of his positive test broke, some unverified reports claimed another Indian player had also tested positive for COVID-19 in the UK. However, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla has rubbished the rumours of two players testing positive for COVID.
Talking about Pant, Shukla said that he is the only player to have tested positive and his positive report came around eight days back. Pant has since remained under isolation and will undergo another COVID test on completing ten days of isolation.
“One player has been found (COVID) positive & he was asymptomatic. He was staying with his relative. He’s in isolation & doing well. He tested +ve 8 days before so only two days of quarantine left. After that, he’ll be tested again,” said BCCI vice-president Shukla.
He played down the rumours of two Indian players testing positive in England and said the Indian team is fine. He also confirmed that BCCI secretary Jay Shah has warned the players to follow all COVID-related guidelines strictly on the tour in a mail to the team management.
“There’s no problem & no second player has been found positive, this is all rumour which is being spread. Team India is fine. Secretary Jay Shah has written a mail to team management that everybody should follow COVID protocols & team has to be very careful,” said Shukla.
Pant was one of the Indian players who was spotted at the Wembley Stadium for the Euro 2020 clash between England and Germany. Jasprit Bumrah and his wife Sanjana Ganesan had also attended one of the games at the Wembley Stadium. Pant is expected to recover in time for the England Test series but will miss the practice game against County Select XI
