I Don't Think Players Can Be Constantly Kept In A Bubble: BCCI VP Rajiv Shukla After Rishabh Pant Tests Covid Positive

The Vice-President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Rajiv Shukla, has stated that even though one member of the Indian contingent- reportedly Rishabh Pant-has tested positive for Covid-19, there is nothing to worry about as the board is taking every possible precaution.

The Indian cricket contingent is currently on an extended break since the World Test Championship final against New Zealand late last month. The players are supposed to convene in a bio-bubble in Durham on Thursday sans the cricketer who has tested positive for the virus.

While Rajiv Shukla did not disclose the name of the cricketer who has tested Covid positive, several reports in media suggest that the player in question is the 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant.

Rajiv Shukla did disclose that Pant has tested positive eight days ago during his stay with his relatives and he was kept in immediate isolation.

Pant will be tested again on Saturday and if he returns negative then he will join the rest of the squad in Durham, where the Virat Kohli-led contingent is set to play a three-day warm-up game against a County Select XI.

“Team India is fine there is no problem, secretary Jay Shah has written a letter to team management everybody should follow the COVID protocols, strict measures whatever could be adopted as per the recommendations must be followed and all safety precautions should be taken and the team has to be very careful during the England tour,” Rajeev Shukla told ANI.

‘’One player has been found positive, he was asymptomatic, I won’t disclose the name. He was not staying in the team hotel, he is staying with relatives and is recovering very well. He is in isolation, he was found positive 8 days back. He will be tested again after two days,” Rajiv Shukla added.

Team India players have spent a lot of time in the bubble since last September. Before getting on the plane to England, the entire squad was locked up in a bio-secure environment in Mumbai for close to 15 days, post which they boarded the flight to the UK where they once again spent 10 days in isolation.

Given the fact that the Indian team is likely to stay in bubbles for a better part of the coming months, the BCCI decided to give the players a 20-day break before the Test series against England, something Rajiv Shukla defended by stating that players cannot remain in isolation for an extended period of time.

“We are taking all the precautions during the series, everybody is put in the bubble so since it was a long gap of one month so players were allowed to go around. I don’t think that they can be constantly kept in a bubble. We are not that worried because the rest of the players are fine they will be heading to Durham. Who is in isolation will not travel with the rest of the team. Once they test negative, then only they can proceed ahead.” signed off Rajiv Shukla.

Also Read- Reports: Rishabh Pant Is The Undisclosed Indian Player Who Returned Covid-19 Positive 8 Days Ago