In a press release, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has informed that eight players have been identified as close contact to Krunal Panday who tested Covid-19 positive on the morning of July 27. Pandya along with all the team members and support staff underwent Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) ahead of the 2nd T20I scheduled to take place Tuesday evening i.e. July 27.
Prithvi and Surya were announced as replacements to Shubman Gill and Washington Sundar in India’s Test squad. They were to leave for England directly from Sri Lanka on July 28. However, now that all the Indian squad will undergo RTPCR tests to ascertain the positivity among other players, it seems very difficult for Shaw and Surya to be able to join the squad before the start of the Test series on August 04.
According to the rules and regulations of the United Kingdom government, even the close contacts of Covid positive person have to undergo 10-day isolation and hence, even if Shaw and Surya test negative on July 28, they won’t be able to leave before July 29 and hence 10das isolation in the UK would mean that they would be able to join the Indian side only after the end of the first Test at Nottingham.