IND vs SL: Krunal Pandya tests positive for Covid-19

All-rounder Krunal Pandya has tested positive for Covid-19 and the second T20I between India and Sri Lanka has been postponed according to a ANI report. The game is likely to take place on Wednesday if the other players return negative tests. 

The two teams have been forced into isolation till the reports of the other players come.

"Krunal has tested positive and the T20I on Tuesday has been postponed and will happen on Wednesday if all the others test negative. The players are currently isolating," the source said.

The visitors are presently leading the three-match series 1-0. They had previously won the ODIs 2-1. 

India have been without the services of the senior players for this series and the side is being led by Shikhar Dhawan while Bhuvneshwar Kumar is his deputy. 

The likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are in the UK with the side that is scheduled to take on England in a five-match Test series beginning on August 4.

Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav were slated to take the flight to the UK after the Indian team had suffered some injury blows resulting in ruling out of Avesh Khan, Washington Sundar and Shubman Gill from the fixtures. 

But the Covid-19 scare has now put a question mark on Shaw and Suryakumar's joining the Indian team in the UK for the Test series. 

Discover more
Top Stories
news

It's important to stay patient & wait for my turn: KL Rahul on playing Test cricket

India batsman KL Rahul has said that it is important for him to be patient and wait for his turn in Test cricket. The right-handed batsman scored some runs during the warm-up match against County Select XI for the Indians after he notched up a century. "It's always good to get runs in the white kit. It's been a while since I'd played a red-ball game, so it was very nice to be out there, and score runs. It's important to stay patient and wait for my turn," Rahul told bcci.tv. “I'm just enjoying my game. I've made mistakes, I've learnt from them. I get stronger. Like I said this is a good opportunity again, hopefully fingers crossed I can do the job for the team," he added. Rahul kept wickets during the warm-up match in the absence of Rishabh Pant and Wriddhiman Saha. Pant had tested positive for Covid-19 earlier and missed the game while Saha had to undergo a mandatory 10-day isolation after he had come in contact with training assistant/net bowler Dayanand Garani, who had tested positive. Talking about his role as a wicket-keeper batsman, Rahul added that it was a good test for his body and wicket-keeping skills. "It's a good opportunity to test my body and wicketkeeping skills. The added responsibility made me really sore (laughs) but apart from that, it was good time out and it gives me good opportunity to stay in the game,” Rahul said. India and England will begin the five-match series on August 4 in Nottingham. Both Pant and Saha have joined the team and it would be interesting to see who makes it to the XI when the two sides lock horns with each other in the first encounter.

news

Ramiz Raja lashes out at Sri Lanka batting line-up for failing to chase 164 in opening T20

Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja has lambasted Sri Lanka for their under-par performance against India in the opening T20I after they failed to chase down 165 to win the match. Raja questioned Sri Lanka’s approach and intent in a video posted on his youtube channel. Raja felt that there was zero strategies or planning from Sri Lanka as none of the set batsmen took the responsibility of tracking their team over the finishing line. It was an impressive bowling performance from the hosts restricting India to just 164 in their 20 overs. However, the batting line-up was nowhere close to where they needed to be and despite some useful knocks from the blade of Charith Asalanka and Avishka Fernando, they folded out for 126. “When India scored 160-odd, they would have thought of winning this because you can expect Sri Lanka to commit mistakes frequently. To chase a target like this, you needed one or two partnerships. At least one batsman should have scored 70-odd runs and you could have crossed the line. If you can’t chase 160 at home, where will you? And losing a game shatters the confidence of the team,” Ramiz Raja said. On the back of two impressive knocks from Suryakumar Yadav and Shikhar Dhawan, India managed to score 164 runs in their allotted 20 overs. Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga were the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers bagging two wickets each. In the second innings, Sri Lanka got off to a steady start courtesy Avishka Fernando. He played some delightful shots en route to his brief knock of 26 before his dismissal. It was Asalanka who kept Sri Lanka in the game with some lusty blow. His dismissal was the final nail in the coffin as Sri Lanka kept losing wickets at regular intervals eventually losing by 38 runs.

news

It doesn't seem that Suryakumar Yadav is playing his first season for India says Ramiz Raja

Former Pakistan batsman and a popular face in the commentary box, Ramiz Raja has showered praises on Suryakumar Yadav, India’s new sensational in the white-ball format. Riding on a brilliant half-century from the blade of SKY, India managed to take a 1-0 lead in the 3 match T20 series. He scored a quickfire half-century which happens to be his second in his brief T20 career. Raja was impressed with Suryakumar Yadav’s ability to keep playing the fearless brand of cricket despite conditions not being the best for batting. In a latest Youtube video, Raja said that given his composure at the highest level, it never looked that he was playing his first season for India. “Suryakumar Yadav played a brilliant innings. It doesn't seem that he is playing his first season for India because he has almost instantly announced himself on the international stage. To bat with a certain tempo and to improvise without taking risks is really difficult. Be it a slower bowl, or a Yorker or a bouncer – nothing can harm him as he has a lot of options to attack,” Ramiz Raja said. Suryakumar Yadav is regarded as one of the very batsmen in India who can play shots all around the park. He starts his innings with flair and confidence and never shies away from taking on the opposition bowlers. “He is temperamentally strong. He scored a fifty off 34 balls which isn’t easy at all, especially when the conditions are tough to bat on. He played a top-quality innings. He has consistency as well. To maintain consistency in white-ball cricket is very tough because you need to take chances,” he added “Suryakumar takes chances with lesser risk. He has an array of shots – he smashes out of the park for a six and also plays grounded shots. He is surely a great find,” Raja further added. India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series after registering a convincing victory against the hosts. After batting first, India scored 164 in their allotted 20 overs with Suryakumar Yadav top-scoring with a 50. He shared a good stand of 62 runs with Shikhar Dhawan to help India post a competitive score. Riding on Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s brilliant spell of bowling, India bowled out Sri Lanka for 126 runs, registering a 38 runs victory.