Rohit Sharma tests positive for COVID-19

India skipper Rohit Sharma has tested positive for COVID-19 in a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) and placed in isolation ahead of the ‘fifth’ Test against England, the BCCI said on Sunday.

The Test match is scheduled to begin on July 1 in Birmingham and if Rohit remains in six-day isolation, either pacer Jasprit Bumrah or wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant could be asked to lead the team.

“Team India captain Mr Rohit Sharma has tested positive for COVID-19 following a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) conducted on Saturday,” BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said in a media release.

“He is currently in isolation at the team hotel and is under the care of the BCCI Medical Team. An RT-PCR test will be conducted on Sunday to ascertain his CT value,” the release added.

Rohit had batted on first day of the ongoing warm-up game against Leicestershire but didn’t take field on the second day. He did not bat in the second Indian innings.

The 35-year-old Indian skipper is expected to open the innings alongside Shubman Gill in the Test match and his participation would now depend on result of his RT-PCR test and recovery.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had also joined the squad in England late since he had also tested positive for COVID-19 before the team left for the UK tour.

The matches are not played under a bio-bubble in the UK now. India too hosted South Africa recently without a bio-bubble.