U-19 World Cup: Six Indian players test positive for COVID-19

Yash Dhull, captain of India’s Under-19 team, Shaik Rasheed, the vice-captain, and four other members of the team have tested positive for Covid-19, forcing them out of the Group B World Cup game against Ireland in Tarouba on Wednesday.

The others who also tested positive and were forced to miss the match were Aaradhya Yadav, Vasu Vats, Manav Parakh and Siddarth Yadav.

An unnamed BCCI official told PTI, “Three Indian players had tested positive yesterday and were already isolated. In the morning before the match, our captain and vice-captain also tested positive in Rapid Antigen Test which is not conclusive. So they, as a precautionary measure, were pulled out.

“The players included skipper Yash Dhull and his deputy Shaikh Rasheed. We only had 11 available players and six isolated.”

If the need arises, matches can be rescheduled too, with the ICC stressing on the need to be fluid and flexible because of the circumstances.

Nishant Sindhu was named captain of the team for the match in the absence of the captain and his deputy.

At the Under-19 World Cup, the bubbles are being managed in such a way that the wellbeing of the young players – both physical and mental – is taken care of. The ICC is taking cognisance of the fact that it is a long tournament, added with the fact that the young players have not been in such situations before. There will also be mental-health professionals available to the teams as it was during the men’s T20 World Cup last year. (ESPNcricinfo)