Rohit Sharma tests positive for COVID-19, likely to miss the one-off test against England
Rohit Sharma, the Indian team's skipper, tested positive for COVID-19, which is a major setback for the Indian cricket team. The change occurs five days before the tourists' fifth Test match against England, which has been rescheduled for Birmingham.
Sharma tested positive for the virus following a Rapid Antigen Test performed on Saturday, according to a statement made by the BCCI on its Twitter account. After the third day of the warm-up match against Leicestershire, news of Rohit's positive test was received.
The right-handed batter has been placed in quarantine and is now being looked after by the BCCI medical staff. The last time the Indian captain played was in the warm-up match against Leicestershire, where he scored 25 runs in the first innings and did not bat in the second.
According to a BCCI statement, “Rohit has tested positive in the Rapid Antigen Test in Leicester, England. His test was conducted on Saturday, June 25. He’s been placed under isolation with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) medical team supervising his health.”
Rohit Sharma is the second Indian cricketer to test positive to COVID-19 after off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's arrival in England was delayed due to the same reason.
How long the Indian captain must stay in isolation to recover is unknown, according to the BCCI. Although the COVID-19 isolation period is typically 14 days long, the veteran may need to stay away for at least seven days and test negative several times before returning to the team. This all but confirms the news that he will miss the one-off test against England, which is scheduled to begin on the 1st of July.
Pant and Bumrah in the running to lead India
Rohit Sharma's injury comes as a huge blow for India, who will not only be missing their skipper but also their highest run-scorer the last time they visited England. Rohit Sharma had a very good series last year, where he plundered 368 runs in four tests at an average of 52.57. It included a two half-centuries and a hundred, the first in overseas conditions for the Indian skipper.
India's 2nd-highest run-scorer in that series, KL Rahul, will also miss the test due to a groin injury, which kept him out of the T20 series against South Africa. Rahul scored 315 runs in the series in four tests, including a match-winning 129 at Lord's.
With Rohit and Rahul missing, the selectors have a huge task of appointing a stand-in captain who could guide the side to their first series victory in England since 2007.
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is the current vice-captain and could be given the chance to lead the side. It could be a big call in a huge game since Bumrah hasn't led India in any format before and doesn't have captaincy experience at first-class level as well. If Bumrah gets the nod, he will be the first fast bowler since Kapil Dev to lead India.
Another option is Rishabh Pant, who recently led India in the series against South Africa. Even at 24, Pant is an integral member of the test side and the management might be inclined to give him a go, keeping the future in mind.