Mumbai, Feb 3 (IANS): The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday added batter Mayank Agarwal to India's ODI squad after seven members, including four players -- Shreyas Iyer, Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Navdeep Saini -- tested positive for Covid-19, ahead of the beginning of the series against West Indies.
The members of the India squad were asked to report in Ahmedabad on January 31 for the series against the West Indies. They were also asked to undergo an RT-PCR test at home before travelling to Ahmedabad.
"The All-India Senior Selection Committee has added Mayank Agarwal to India's ODI squad after seven members, including three players of Team India (Senior Men) tested positive for COVID-19 following three rounds of RT-PCR testing," the BCCI said in a statement.
"The members were asked to report in Ahmedabad on 31st January 2022 for the upcoming Paytm three-match ODI and T20I series against the West Indies. Every member was also asked to undergo an RT-PCR test at home before embarking on their journey to Ahmedabad and the travel was undertaken only after testing negative," it added.
The statement further said that the opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan and fast bowler Navdeep Saini's (standby player) RT-PCR tests conducted on Monday have returned positive results. On the other hand, fielding Coach T Dilip and Security Liaison Officer B Lokesh's RT-PCR tests conducted on Monday have returned positive results.
Meanwhile, batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad, who had tested negative during the first round of testing on Monday, has returned a positive result during a RT-PCR test conducted on Tuesday.
Shreyas Iyer and Sports Massage Therapist Rajeev Kumar's RT-PCR tests conducted on Wednesday have returned positive results. Both had tested negative in the first two rounds of testing.
The BCCI Medical team is handling the positive cases and the members will remain in isolation till complete recovery is attained.
Notably, the Indian team has a large contingent (of about 26 members, including net bowlers) and so there seems to be no imminent threat to the series overall.
The West Indies team, which reached Ahmedabad on Wednesday morning, is also put up in the same hotel as India, and so are the match officials.
Teams are scheduled to play the first of three ODIs at the Narendra Modi Stadium on February 6. The ODI leg will be followed by three T20Is, which are scheduled to take place at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
India's current squad for West Indies ODIs: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Mayank Agarwal.