Reports: Rishabh Pant tests positive for COVID-19 ahead of England Tests

The Indian cricket team has faced a major blow ahead of the five-match Test series against England with Rishabh Pant reportedly testing positive for the COVID-19 virus. The dashing wicketkeeper-batsman has been instrumental in India’s recent success in red-ball cricket. Hence, the team management would want him for the crucial series against the Three Lions. However, his participation is now in jeopardy.

For the unversed, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had allowed players to go out of the bio-secure bubble for a while after the conclusion of the World Test Championship final against New Zealand. Moreover, Pant, a few weeks earlier, was spotted with a friend at a packed Wembley Stadium enjoying the Euro 2020 match between England and Germany. He wasn’t sporting masks in some viral pictures and fans even slammed him for the same.

Rishabh Pant is in quarantine at an acquaintance’s place: BCCI source

For the unversed, it was earlier learned that a Team India player has tested positive for coronavirus. Now, the latest developments suggest that the player is none other than Pant. “He (Pant) is in quarantine at an acquaintance’s place and won’t be traveling with the team to Durham on Thursday,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by India TV.

The report further claims that Pant is most probably affected by the Delta variant which has led to the rising number of coronavirus cases in England. In fact, it has been over a week since the 23-year-old had contracted the virus and he even has been recovering well.

“Yes, one player has tested positive but he has been in isolation for the last eight days. He was not staying in any hotel with the team, so no other player has been affected. But I can’t divulge the name of the player,” BCCI Vice President Rajiv Shukla was quoted as saying.

With the England vs India series getting underway on August 4 and Pant recovering well, he should be available for the opening game in Nottingham. Meanwhile, the rest of the squad is likely to resume their training soon for the series. India have been doing well in red-ball cricket lately and would like to thrash the Three Lions as well.