Birmingham: Native American skipper Rohit Sharma has tested positive for COVID-19 in a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) and placed in isolation for the ‘fifth’ test against England, the BCCI said on Sunday.
The test match is slated to start from July 1 in Birmingham and if Rohit remains in isolation for six days, either pacer Jasprit Bumrah or wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant could be asked to lead the team.
“Team India captain, Mr Rohit Sharma, has tested positive for COVID-19 following a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) conducted on Saturday,” BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said in a press release.
“He is currently in isolation in the team hotel and is under the care of the BCCI Medical Team. An RT-PCR test will be performed on Sunday to determine his CT value,” the release added.
Rohit had hit Leicestershire on the first day of the ongoing warm-up game, but did not come on the second day. He didn’t bat in the second Indian innings.
The 35-year-old Indian skipper is expected to open the innings alongside Shubman Gill in the test match and his entry would now depend on the outcome of his RT-PCR test and recovery.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had also joined the squad late in England, having also tested positive for COVID-19 before the team left for the UK tour.
The matches will now not be played under a bio-bubble in the UK. India also recently received South Africa without a biobubble.
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