Cricket Association of Bengal President Avishek Dalmiya has tested positive for Covid-19 just a day after seven members of Bengal’s Ranji Trophy squad contracted the virus. Former BCCI and CAB president Jagmohan Dalmiya’s son, Avishek took the test on Monday and is presently in home isolation.
On Sunday, Bengal’s preparation for the Ranji Trophy was disrupted after seven members of the squad tested positive just days before the start of India’s premier domestic cricket tournament.
Bengal were scheduled to start their campaign against Tripura in Bengaluru on January 13, before taking Vidarbha, Rajasthan, Kerala and Haryana, their other Group B opponents.
“Keeping in mind the current pandemic situation, the Cricket Association of Bengal had conducted RTPCR Tests of all Bengal cricketers as a safety measure,” CAB secretary Snehasish Ganguly said in a statement late on Sunday evening.
“The results have come out and it has been found that certain players had tested positive. The CAB is taking all necessary precautions and actions in this regard.”
As per reports, six Bengal players — Sudip Chatterjee, Anustup Majumdar, Kazi Junaid Saifi, Geet Puri, Pradipta Pramanik, Surajit Yadav — and assistant coach Sourasish Lahiri were infected with the virus.
These seven were present during an intra-squad warm-up game at the Jadavpur University second campus ground in Salt Lake on Sunday.
The positive results of the Ranji team members also meant that Bengal’s two-day warm-up game against the Prithvi Shaw-led Mumbai from Tuesday at the CCFC was cancelled.
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