India captain Rohit Sharma has tested positive for COVID-19 in a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) and is placed in isolation ahead of fifth Test against England, the BCCI confirmed early on Sunday morning.
This Test was to be played last year and it was pushed back after COVID had hit the Indian camp resulting in the tour being cut short. India lead the series 2-1.
The Test match is scheduled to begin from 1 July 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.
A vice-captain hadn't been named after KL Rahul was ruled out of the tour due to injury. India had begun this Test series against with Virat Kohli as captain, and Ravi Shastri as the head coach last year.
"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. He opened the batting in the first dig and made 25 before being dismissed by Roman Walker.
Rohit had been India's best batsman over four Tests last year before the final Test was rescheduled. He scored 368 runs at an average of 52.27 including a hundred at The Oval.
The 35-year-old Indian skipper was 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.
The matches are not played in a bio-bubble in the UK now. India too had hosted South Africa recently without a bio-bubble.
(With PTI Inputs)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)