Indian cricket team head coach Ravi Shastri has tested Covid-19 positive. This was during the fourth test between India and England at the Oval. The 59-year-old Shastri returned positive in a lateral flow test. The lateral flow test is a rapid diagnostic test for those without symptoms.
The Indian coach has gone into isolation for 14 days. He will stay in isolation till his tests turn positive.
Shastri had attended a function at a London hotel for the launch of his book ‘Stargazing: The Players In My Life’. He might have got infected at the event that was attended by many outsiders.
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Three other staff members who were close to Ravi Shastri have also gone into isolation. They are bowling coach Bharat Arun, fielding coach R Sridhar, and physiotherapist Nitin Patel.
BCCI in a statement said, “They have undergone RT-PCR testing and shall remain in the team hotel and not travel with Team India until confirmation from the medical team.”
They added, “The remaining members of the Team India contingent underwent two lateral flow tests – one last night and another this morning. The members upon returning negative Covid reports were allowed to proceed for Day 4 of the ongoing fourth Test at The Oval.”
This is the second time Bharat Arun has had to go into isolation since reaching England. The first time was in July when he and Wriddhiman Saha and Abhimanyu Easwaran, were forced to quarantine for ten days.
That was not long after Rishabh Pant, the first-choice Test wicketkeeper, had tested positive for Covid-19 as well.
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