Six India U-19 Players, Including Skipper Yash Dhull, Test Positive For Covid-19

The International Criket Council (ICC) had allowed ever team to pick a total of 17 players for the tournament and that's why India Under-19 team could manage to field a playing XI against Ireland.

India U-19 Cricket Team, Pic Courtesy: Asian Cricket Council

New Delhi: In what comes as a big setback for Indian fans, India's Under-19 team captain Yash Dhull, vice-captain Sheikh Rasheed and four of their teammates have tested COVID-19 positive in the Caribbean, forcing the cricketers to be ruled out of the ongoing Group B match of the Under-19 World Cup against Ireland on Wednesday.

Apart from Dhull and Rasheed, batters Aaradhya Yadav, Vasu Vats, Manav Parakh and Siddharth Yadav have also been infected with the dreaded virus, due to which the Indian Under-19 team could barely field a competitive playing XI against Ireland.

“Three Indian players had tested positive yesterday and were already isolated. In the morning before the match, our captain and vice captain also tested positive in Rapid Antigen Test which is not conclusive,” a BCCI official told PTI.

“So they, as precautionary measure, were pulled out. The players included skipper Yash Dhull and his deputy Shaikh Rasheed. We only had 11 available players and six isolated,” the official added.

Captain Dhull and Rasheed had played in the first match against South Africa but Aradhya was not a part of that game. Nishant Sindhu is leading India's Under-19 team against Ireland in Dhull's absence.

The International Criket Council (ICC) had allowed ever team to pick a total of 17 players for the tournament and that's why India Under-19 team could manage to field a playing XI against Ireland.

India's Under-19 squad: Yash Dhull (c), Harnoor Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, SK Rasheed (vc), Nishant Sindhu, Siddarth Yadav, Aneeshwar Gautam, Dinesh Bana, Aaradhya Yadav, Raj Angad Bawa, Manav Parakh, Kaushal Tambe, RS Hangargekar, Vasu Vats, Vicky Ostwal, Ravikumar, Garv Sangwan.

Travelling Reserves: Rishit Reddy, Uday Saharan, Ansh Gosai, Amrit Raj Upadhyay, Amrit Raj Upadhyay.