Team all-rounder Washington Sundar,who is part of the Indian ODI team, has tested positive for Covid-19 in Bengaluru recently and is doubtful for the upcoming ODI series against South Africa. In the wake of Sundar’s news, the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) has asked the off-spinner Jayant Yadav, who is part of the ongoing Test squad, to stay back for the three-match ODI series, the Indian Express reported.
Sundar was supposed to fly to South Africa along with a host of other white-ball cricketers that include Shikhar Dhawan, Suryakumar Yadav, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Ruturaj Gaekwad, Deepak Chahar, Prasidh Krishna, Venkatesh Iyer, Ishan Kishan and Yuzuvendra Chahal from Mumbai on Wednesday. The 22-year old Tamil Nadu player (Sundar) had to undergo a three-day quarantine in India, followed by three-day quarantine in South Africa before joining the Indian team after the ongoing third Test match.
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Meanwhile, Yadav, who last played an ODI in 2016 against New Zealand, has been asked to stay back in the Rainbow nation. He will continue to play the same role as an off-spin all-rounder and comes with enormous domestic experience under his belt. The Delhi cricketer is also a handy batter down the order and can prove to be a good option for the visitors until Sundar recovers in time.
“Sundar has tested positive and he has been isolated from other players. All other players’ reports came negative. They are undergoing a three-day quarantine period. Once they get three negative reports, these players will go into the Indian team bubble,” a BCCI official was quoted by Indian Express.
With both Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel out injured and Sundar’s availability still in limbo, Yadav’s inclusion in the ODI squad will fill the all-rounder’s role. Additionally, Ravichandran Ashwin has also been recalled into the ODI side as well for the upcoming white-ball series against the Proteas and he is expected to be the first choice option now ahead of Yadav.
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