Four players of the Indian cricket team, including Shreyas Iyer and Shikhar Dhawan, have tested positive for COVID-19 since the team landed in Ahmedabad for the ODI series on 31 January.
Three members of the support staff have also tested positive, taking the total tally in the Indian camp to seven. However, the three-match series against West Indies will continue as scheduled, with the second and third fixtures on Wednesday and Friday.
Explained: Multiple COVID Cases in Team India Bubble; How Does the Series Go On?
1. Firstly, Who Tested Positive?
The BCCI sent a press release late on Wednesday night confirming that seven members of the Indian squad had tested positive for COVID, from Monday to Wednesday.
Shikhar Dhawan, standby player Navdeep Saini, fielding coach T Dilip, and security liaison officer B Lokesh were positive in COVID tests conducted on Monday.
Ruturaj Gaikwad tested positive on Tuesday. And on Wednesday, Shreyas Iyer and massage therapist Rajeev Kumar were found positive for the virus, after testing negative on both Monday and Tuesday.
Expand2. What Is the SOP?
According to the BCCI's new quarantine rules, all players were to gather in Ahmedabad by Monday – after negative tests at home – and then undergo a three-day quarantine, following which they could start training on Thursday.
"The members were asked to report in Ahmedabad on 31st January 2022. Every member was also asked to undergo an RT-PCR test at home before embarking on their journey to Ahmedabad, and the travel was undertaken only after testing negative."
BCCI Press ReleaseHowever, as players started testing positive almost every day since the landing date, the Thursday open training was put on hold until fresh tests were conducted. After all the remaining members of the squad tested negative, the Indian team began training in Ahmedabad.
The West Indies team arrived in Ahmedabad on Monday as well and are residing in the same hotel as the Indian team, albeit on another floor. There have been no reports of any positive cases in their camp yet.
Earlier, during the IPL in 2020 (BCCI's first big event during the pandemic), all players were asked to quarantine alone for five days, with the tests conducted on the first, third, and fifth days. However, that has now been reduced to three days, with daily tests.
Expand3. What Happens to The Series?
Nothing really. The show goes on.
India have 26 players in their current squad for the West Indies series, including net bowlers, as outside contact is not allowed once teams are in the bio-bubble.
The BCCI, in their press statement on Wednesday, also announced that Mayank Agarwal was being called as a backup, with three batters ruled out of at least the first match due to COVID.
"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."
BCCI Press ReleaseLast month, six members of India's Under-19 World Cup squad had tested positive during the tournament, and while BCCI had sent one player as a temporary replacement, all players who recovered were allowed to return to the field, following a strict fitness test.
In fact, the skipper, Yash Dhull, who scored a century in the semi-final against Australia on Wednesday, had tested positive in an antigen test on 19 January, but was back on the field playing for India on 29 January, against Bangladesh.
With the new variant of COVID proving to be a lot milder and government directives requiring only a seven-day quarantine, Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Shreyas Iyer may be available for the second or third ODI on Wednesday and Friday, respectively.
Expand
Firstly, Who Tested Positive?
The BCCI sent a press release late on Wednesday night confirming that seven members of the Indian squad had tested positive for COVID, from Monday to Wednesday.
Shikhar Dhawan, standby player Navdeep Saini, fielding coach T Dilip, and security liaison officer B Lokesh were positive in COVID tests conducted on Monday.
Ruturaj Gaikwad tested positive on Tuesday. And on Wednesday, Shreyas Iyer and massage therapist Rajeev Kumar were found positive for the virus, after testing negative on both Monday and Tuesday.
What Is the SOP?
According to the BCCI's new quarantine rules, all players were to gather in Ahmedabad by Monday – after negative tests at home – and then undergo a three-day quarantine, following which they could start training on Thursday.
"The members were asked to report in Ahmedabad on 31st January 2022. Every member was also asked to undergo an RT-PCR test at home before embarking on their journey to Ahmedabad, and the travel was undertaken only after testing negative."BCCI Press Release
However, as players started testing positive almost every day since the landing date, the Thursday open training was put on hold until fresh tests were conducted. After all the remaining members of the squad tested negative, the Indian team began training in Ahmedabad.
The West Indies team arrived in Ahmedabad on Monday as well and are residing in the same hotel as the Indian team, albeit on another floor. There have been no reports of any positive cases in their camp yet.
Earlier, during the IPL in 2020 (BCCI's first big event during the pandemic), all players were asked to quarantine alone for five days, with the tests conducted on the first, third, and fifth days. However, that has now been reduced to three days, with daily tests.
What Happens to The Series?
Nothing really. The show goes on.
India have 26 players in their current squad for the West Indies series, including net bowlers, as outside contact is not allowed once teams are in the bio-bubble.
The BCCI, in their press statement on Wednesday, also announced that Mayank Agarwal was being called as a backup, with three batters ruled out of at least the first match due to COVID.
"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."BCCI Press Release
Last month, six members of India's Under-19 World Cup squad had tested positive during the tournament, and while BCCI had sent one player as a temporary replacement, all players who recovered were allowed to return to the field, following a strict fitness test.
In fact, the skipper, Yash Dhull, who scored a century in the semi-final against Australia on Wednesday, had tested positive in an antigen test on 19 January, but was back on the field playing for India on 29 January, against Bangladesh.
With the new variant of COVID proving to be a lot milder and government directives requiring only a seven-day quarantine, Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Shreyas Iyer may be available for the second or third ODI on Wednesday and Friday, respectively.