New Delhi: The second T20 International between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo on Tuesday was postponed by a day after the visiting all-rounder Krunal Pandya tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him out of the series with seven days of isolation.
However, all his eight close contacts, who were isolated, have tested "negative" in the RT-PCR tests and will be available for the postponed game which is being held tomorrow.
As per Sri Lanka's health safety protocols, Krunal will not be able to travel back to India with other members of the contingent on July 30 as he will now have to undergo mandatory isolation and obtain a negative RT-PCR report.
The third and final T20 is scheduled to be held on Thursday.
"Krunal is symptomatic with cough and throat pain. He is obviously out of the series and will not be able to return with rest of the squad," a BCCI source tracking the developments in Colombo told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
"However the good news is that all his eight close contacts who were identified by the BCCI medical officer (Dr Abhijit Salvi) have tested negative."
For now, the three-match series is on as even if there are a couple of more cases, the Indian team has enough players with negative RT-PCR reports to field a team.
Krunal, who tested positive on Tuesday morning, has already been quarantined.
The entire contingent has undergone RT-PCR tests on the day to ascertain any further outbreak in the squad.
"If everyone is in the clear, we can have the match on Wednesday. Maximum among the eight close contacts who are also in mandatory isolation are players," a BCCI source added.
The development is also likely to affect the travel plans of Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav, who were due to join the Indian team in England after this series for an upcoming Test assignment against England next month.
The duo were supposed to link up with the red ball squad in UK after the completion of the T20 series and it is still not clear whether these two are among the eight, who were in close contact of Krunal.