The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday confirmed opener Prithvi Shaw and middle order batsman Suryakumar Yadav to India’s squad for the Test series against England which will begin on August 4, following injuries to Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar and Avesh Khan.
This was done after multiple Indian players were ruled out either due to injury or because of Covid-19 isolation.
Earlier, there were speculations that opener Prithvi Shaw, middle-order batsman Suryakumar Yadav and off-spinner Jayant Yadav could join the Indian Test team in England as replacements for injured players.
In a statement, the BCCI said Gill, Sundar and Avesh have all picked up injuries ahead of the five-match series against England. The BCCI also said Rishabh Pant has been cleared to play the series after Covid recovery. Washington Sundar is out of the series due to an injury to his bowling finger.
Both Shaw and Surya are currently playing against Sri Lanka in three match T2OI series and were also part of ODI squad of Shikhar Dhawan-led white-ball side.
Surya were among the leading run scorer in the ODI series against Sri Lanka which the visitors won 2-1 in Colombo. He has been awarded as the man of the series for his 360 degree performance in the ODI series and also scored a blistering fifty in the first T20 against Sri Lanka on Sunday night.
The BCCI also informed that wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant, who was tested positive for Covid, has recovered from Covid-19 and has begun his preparations for the upcoming Test series after clearance from the BCCI Medical Team.
The BCCI also informed that the Indian bowling coach Bharat Arun, wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha and Easwaran have completed their self-isolation in London and ready to join Indian team in Durham.
A senior BCCI official had earlier said that both players (Surya and Shaw) would have a bubble to bubble transfer from Colombo to London.
The BCCI had picked 23 players for the World Test Championship and the five-match Test series against England starting from August 4.
The Indian team had earlier asked for Shaw as a replacement for Gill but the request was turned down by the BCCI but after the multiple injury reports in Indian squad, the BCCI has changed its mind.
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