MUMBAI: In some good news for India’s cricket fans, TOI has learnt that all the six Covid-hit players in India’s Under-19 team are “recovering well” and should be available for the team’s ICC Under-19 World Cup quarterfinal against Bangladesh at Antigua on January 29.
“Yes, all the players are recovering well, and should be available for our next game. One of them, Siddharth Yadav, who was the first to be struck by the virus, has recovered completely. All the players have been isolating in Trinidad. Once all of them tested negative tomorrow, they should be able to join the team in Antigua for the last eight clash,” a source in the BCCI told TOI on Wednesday.
Last Wednesday, India Under-19 skipper Yash Dhull, his deputy Sheikh Rasheed and four other Indian players tested positive for Covid-19, forcing them out of the Group B Under-19 World Cup game against Ireland in Trinidad and seriously jeopardising the side’s campaign. Apart from Dhull and Rasheed, Aaradhya Yadav, Vasu Vats, Manav Parakh, and Siddharth Yadav were also found infected with the virus, because of which India barely managed to field an XI against Ireland. All of them missed the next match against Uganda too as India played with a bare minimum number of players.
Following the development, the BCCI had last Friday flown in six backup players for the Covid- wrecked team at the ongoing Under-19 World Cup in the West Indies. Five under 19 players — Abhishek Porel (Bengal), Uday Saharan (Rajasthan), Rishith Reddy (Hyderabad), Ansh Gosai (Saurashtra), and PM Singh Yadav (Rajasthan) were sent as back-ups to the Dhull-led side, which has had to isolate six players, including the skipper himself, due to Covid-19. “All these players are supposed to join the team tonight (after their quarantine pots landing), and will be available for the quarterfinal,” the source said.
It remains to be seen if their services will be needed if the main squad’s players recover, though.
“Yes, all the players are recovering well, and should be available for our next game. One of them, Siddharth Yadav, who was the first to be struck by the virus, has recovered completely. All the players have been isolating in Trinidad. Once all of them tested negative tomorrow, they should be able to join the team in Antigua for the last eight clash,” a source in the BCCI told TOI on Wednesday.
Last Wednesday, India Under-19 skipper Yash Dhull, his deputy Sheikh Rasheed and four other Indian players tested positive for Covid-19, forcing them out of the Group B Under-19 World Cup game against Ireland in Trinidad and seriously jeopardising the side’s campaign. Apart from Dhull and Rasheed, Aaradhya Yadav, Vasu Vats, Manav Parakh, and Siddharth Yadav were also found infected with the virus, because of which India barely managed to field an XI against Ireland. All of them missed the next match against Uganda too as India played with a bare minimum number of players.
Following the development, the BCCI had last Friday flown in six backup players for the Covid- wrecked team at the ongoing Under-19 World Cup in the West Indies. Five under 19 players — Abhishek Porel (Bengal), Uday Saharan (Rajasthan), Rishith Reddy (Hyderabad), Ansh Gosai (Saurashtra), and PM Singh Yadav (Rajasthan) were sent as back-ups to the Dhull-led side, which has had to isolate six players, including the skipper himself, due to Covid-19. “All these players are supposed to join the team tonight (after their quarantine pots landing), and will be available for the quarterfinal,” the source said.
It remains to be seen if their services will be needed if the main squad’s players recover, though.