London, 15/7 (AO Bureau): The Indian cricket team has suffered a setback ahead of next month’s Test series against Gland. After wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, Wriddhiman Saha also had to isolate. Rishabh Pant and throwdown specialist Dayanand Jarani have been found to be Kovid-19 positive. Due to their contact, a member of the coaching staff and reserve wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha has been kept in isolation.
All four are in London while the rest of the team will gather in Durham in the evening after a 20-day break. It takes five hours to travel from London to Durham by bus. Pant and Saha will miss the warm-up match against a combined county team from July 20. The Cricket Board of India (BCCI) source has confirmed that Pant has been kept in isolation for the last eight days. According to the source, he is not showing any symptoms at this time.
The source said, “He is in isolation at an acquaintance and will not travel to Durham with the team on Thursday.” The source, however, did not say when the 23-year-old would join the team. Pant is expected to undergo a Kovid-19 test in the next few days. Apart from Pant and injured Shubman Gill, the rest of the Indian team left for Durham from London on Thursday. Gill suffered a leg injury earlier this month and the young batsman has come out of the biologically safe environment of the team.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah had earlier sent an e-mail to the Indian team present in Britain, warning about the increasing cases of Kovid-19 there. The players were given a break after the World Test Championship final against New Zealand last month. India lost this match. BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla said, “Yes, a player has been found corona positive but he is in isolation for the last eight days. He is not in any hotel with the team, so no other player was affected. No other player is positive. You will be aware that our secretary Jay Shah has written a letter to all the players asking them to follow the rules.