Rohit Sharma tests positive for Covid-19 in Rapid Antigen Test

|HT|

Team India captain Rohit Sharma has tested positive for Covid-19 in a Rapid Antigen Test conducted on Saturday. The skipper is currently placed under isolation in the team hotel following the infection. The official Twitter account of the BCCI confirmed the development following the end of Day 3 of the ongoing warm-up game between India and Leicestershire.

UPDATE - #TeamIndia Captain Mr. Rohit Sharma has tested positive for COVID-19 following a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) conducted on Saturday. He is currently in isolation at the team hotel and is under the care of the BCCI Medical Team,” the BCCI wrote. Rohit had been a part of the Indian team during the warm-up game, but didn't come to bat during Day 3 even as the side lost seven wickets, scoring 364 by the end of the day's play. In the first innings, Rohit scored 25 runs before being dismissed by Roman Walker. He also took the field on the second day as India bowled Leicestershire out on 244. The Indian captain now faces a race against time in order to make a full recovery before the scheduled start of India's fifth and final Test of the series against England on July 1 in Edgbaston.

Rohit is currently the highest scorer for India in the series, with 368 runs in four matches at an impressive average of 52.27. If Rohit Sharma fails to recover in time for the fifth Test, India will take the field without both of their first-choice openers as KL Rahul has already been ruled out of the series with an injury. There is no other designated opener in India's Test squad except Shubman Gill and if Rohit indeed misses the Edgbaston Test, there is a strong chance of Hanuma Vihari opening. Vihari has earlier famously opened for India in the 2019 Sydney Test against Australia, where he blunted the new ball scoring 8 of 60-odd deliveries. This is the second case of Covid-19 to erupt in the Indian camp on the tour of England. Last week, India spinner R Ashwin missed the flight to the UK after he returned a positive Test. Ashwin did land in Leicestershire later but did not take part in the four-day practice match although he was seen going through the paces and bowling in the nets. Reports had also floated suggesting Virat Kohli too was Covid-positive upon reaching England but had recovered even though no official announcement was made either by BCCI or Kohli himself.

Team India is currently playing the warm-up against Leicestershire, where or Day 3 on Sunday, they produced an improved batting performance with Shreyas Iyer (62), Ravindra Jadeja (56*), and Virat Kohli (67) slamming half-centuries. With Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj (1*) remained unbeaten at the end of day's play.

(Except for the headline and the pictorial description, this story has not been edited by THE DEN staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)