1st ODI Between India And West Indies Could Be Pushed Forward If More Players Test Covid Positive - Reports

The upcoming three-match ODI series between India and the West Indies is scheduled to take place from February 6 onwards at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad. However, the series is now under a cloud since five Indian players have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Navdeep Saini, and Axar Patel have tested positive for Covid-19 days before the start of the ODI series. While Dhawan, Iyer, Ruturaj, and Saini tested positive on arrival in Ahmedabad, Axar tested positive in the pre-departure RT-PCR Tests and is only named in the Indian squad for T20Is that will follow the ODI series.

With players and staff testing positive for Covid-19, the authorities are expected to change the date of the first ODI at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.

The Date Of The Start Of The First ODI Might Be Pushed A Day Or Two If More Players Test Positive: BCCI Official

All members of team India have gone into isolation. All those players, who have tested Covid-19 positive, have been shifted to the second floor of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Ahmedabad. At the same time, the practice session of the team which was scheduled to start on Thursday has been cancelled.

According to a BCCI official, all the players will undergo the RT-PCR test and he further said that it is possible that if more players test positive for COVID-19, the start of the ODI series might be pushed back by a day or two and the schedule is flexible enough to accommodate such a change.

“For now, the series will be played as per schedule. But if more positive cases come out today or tomorrow, we can push the start by a day or two. We will be flexible about that,” a BCCI official was quoted as saying by InsideSport.

Team India had reached Ahmedabad on Monday. Before the start of the practice session, players were asked to quarantine in the hotel for 3 days. Meanwhile, Mayank Agarwal has been added to the Indian squad for the ODI series as a backup and will join the main squad after completing his three-day quarantine.

The players who have tested positive will have to go through a week’s isolation. They can join the team only after two negative RT-PCR results.

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