Mayank Agarwal, India's Test match specialist has got a call to the ODI team as three players - Shreyas Iyer, Shikhar Dhawan and Ruturaj Gaikwad - have tested positive just days ahead of the IND Vs WI ODI series.
"The All-India Senior Selection Committee has added Mayank Agarwal to India’s ODI squad after seven members, including three players of Team India (Senior Men) tested positive for COVID-19 following three rounds of RT-PCR testing," said BCCI to ANI.
Mayank Agarwal has only played in 5 ODIs before with the highest score of 32 runs, thus, it is an opportunity for Agarwal to prove himself in limited-overs cricket as well.
The 3-match ODI series starts on February 6, 2022. All the ODIs will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. It will be followed by a 3-match T20I series as well starting February 16, 2022.
Dhawan, Iyer and Gaikwad were tested positive on Wednesday and were in isoltion despite being asymptomatic. "The players are largely asymptomatic and hopefully will be fine by the end of the isolation period. You feel bad for Shikhar as he might have to miss the series and he is not a part of T20 squad," a BCCI official said PTI.
In-form batter KL Rahul is not available for the ODI series opener and the ouster of this trio has put the national team and BCCI in a spot of bother.
All three ODIs will be played at this ground. Keeping in mind the current Covid-19 situation in India, spectators won't get entry in the stadium during the ODI series i.e. entire Ind vs WI ODI series will be played behind closed doors.