Team India lands in Bangalore, COVID-19 positive players to stay back in Sri Lanka for isolation

The Indian side that was up against Sri Lanka for the limited-overs series has come back to India. The contingent that was led by Shikhar Dhawan has landed in Bangalore on 30^th July and three members of the squad who tested positive for COVID-19 are still waiting in Sri Lanka for their isolation period to get over. All-rounder Krunal Pandya was first to return positive results for COVID-19 and all his close contacts were immediately isolated.

In the second round of COVID-19 testing that followed before their departure to India, spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and Krishnappa Gowtham tested positive for the virus. As per the quarantine protocols laid by the Sri Lanka government, all three players will only be only allowed to leave the island nation after their isolation is over. Earlier, a BCCI source confirmed that the team has already left Colombo but waiting for fresh results before the departure.

“Yuzi and Gowtham have tested positive as the team was supposed to return by a charter flight to Bengaluru sans Krunal Pandya. But now as per rules, Gowtham and Yuzi will also have to be in seven-day isolation in Sri Lanka. The contingent has reached Bengaluru”

“They will take connecting flights to their respective cities from Bengaluru as they get a much-required break after more than six weeks inside the bio-bubble in Mumbai and Colombo,” said a BCCI source as quoted by News18.

India took the field with a depleted side after Krunal Pandya tested positive

If all goes fine, senior Pandya will be allowed to leave the country somewhere in the next week. Six other players who were isolated for being in close touch with Krunal were Hardik Pandya, Manish Pandey, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Prithvi Shaw, and Deepak Chahar.  All these six have been allowed to leave the country. After Krunal tested positive for COVID-19, all the players in close touch with were isolated and this is why India had to take the field with a depleted side in the last two T20Is against Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka won the T20I series 2-1, eventually and India had the ODI series in their bag.