India's limited overs series against Sri Lanka has been rescheduled owing to COVID-19 cases in home team camp.(More Cricket News)
The first ODI, which was supposed to be held on July 13, has been moved to July 17. This comes a day after batting coach Grant Flower contracted the virus. Today, Sri Lankan team's data analyst G T Niroshan also tested positive for COVID-19.
Sri Lanka were all set to take on India in a six-match white-ball series starting July 13 but now the new proposed date will see the series start from July 17.
"Yes, the series will now start from 17th of July instead of 13th. The decision was taken in consultation with SLC keeping the safety and security of players in mind," a senior BCCI official told PTI, confirming the development.
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Data analyst Niroshan is currently being treated as per the medical protocols.
"The Data Analyst of the Sri Lanka National Team, G. T. Niroshan, has tested positive for Covid 19," Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said in a statement.
Yesterday, Flower had been isolated from the rest of the squad which is undergoing hard quarantine on arrival from England. Flower is a former Zimbabwe batsman and was with the team in England where it lost both the T20 International and ODI series against England.
Sri Lanka Cricket was concerned about the COVID-19 threat after an outbreak in England squad. It had kept two groups of players in bio-bubbles - one in Colombo, and one in Dambulla - ready as contingency.
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The new purposed dates for the three ODIs are July 17, July 19 and July 21 for ODIs, while T20Is will be held on July 24, July 25 and July 27.
All the other Sri Lankan players who are quarantining have also been tested.
Before testing negative, Sri Lanka's squad had faced an anxious wait for the results of their PCR tests on returning home, following a COVID-19 outbreak in the England squad after the final match of their tour in Bristol on Sunday.
The SLC source informed that all the Sri Lankan players who came back from UK have tested negative.
"Once the contingent returned from the UK, Grant tested positive on arrival in RT PCR on the first day. All other players were then in their respective room (hard) quarantine. We removed Grant immediately in separate isolation zone. He is asymptomatic," the source added.
"Yesterday, we tested the others once again and today Niroshan's report came positive and he was also isolated. Since we didn't receive any other positive reports as of now, it means that the players who returned from UK have tested negative in their second RT PCR test." (with inputs from Agencies)
