Picture Credit: Twitter/@BCCI
It has been quite a tricky last few days for the Indian cricket team, both in Sri Lanka and England. Post injuries to Shubman Gill, Avesh Khan and Washington Sundar in the UK, there have been lot of talks around BCCI sending a few replacement players for India's upcoming 5-match Test series against England. It had been reported earlier that Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav have been identified as the two players who will leave for England after the conclusion of white-ball series.
However, there was another twist in the story after Krunal Pandya tested positive for COVID-19 in Sri Lanka. As many as 8 other cricketers were also asked to isolate as they were deemed to be in close contact of the all-rounder. Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav were among the few unfortunate ones in that list of players which has ruled them out of Sri Lanka series and has also put their travel to England in jeopardy.
Good news for Indian cricket fans
Considering the strict COVID-19 protocols in place, the people who are identified to be in close contact of someone affected by coronavirus, will have to isolate for at least 10 days before undergoing further 10-day quarantine on reaching England. This would mean that Shaw and Suryakumar might only be available for the last two Tests which would not make too much sense for India.
However, it seems like BCCI have found a way out of this situation. In a conversation with IANS, an official stated, "They (Shaw and SKY) will travel to England when the formalities are completed." Hence, the fans can heave a huge sigh of relief as it suggests that the duo will in fact leave for the UK very soon to join the Indian Test squad.
Will Shaw and SKY play in England?
Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav have been two of the most in-form players in recent times. The duo performed well in first half of IPL 2021 and looked in good touch during white-ball series against Sri Lanka. However, they are being sent to England as back-up options and would be given an opportunity only if there are too many injuries within the squad.
While Prithvi Shaw will act as back-up for Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal, Suryakumar Yadav might come into the picture in case of more than couple of middle-order batsmen being unavailable. The 5-match Test series begins on August 4 and is set to be concluded by September 14.