Chahal, Gowtham test positive, put in isolation in Colombo

Suryakumar Yadav and Prithvi Shaw - who are set to join the Indian Test team in the UK - stayed back in Colombo and are expected to leave for England on July 31.

Chahal and Gowtham were already in isolation after they were among the eight identified close contacts of Krunal Pandya, who had tested positive on Tuesday. -AP

Yuzvendra Chahal and Krishnappa Gowtham tested positive for COVID-19 in Colombo on Friday.

The two were already in isolation after they were among the eight identified close contacts of Krunal Pandya, who had tested positive on Tuesday.

The three players will have to stay back in Colombo and won’t return to India with the rest of the team as Sri Lanka’s health protocol suggests that anyone testing positive for the virus needs to isolate for at least ten days and then clear a fresh round of tests to leave the country. 

The other ‘close contacts’ – Hardik Pandya, Manish Pandey, Deepak Chahar and Ishan Kishan – reached Bengaluru on Friday along with the other players and support staff. 

Sources in the BCCI have told Sportstar that Suryakumar Yadav and Prithvi Shaw - who are set to join the Indian Test team in the UK - have stayed back in Colombo and are expected to leave for England on July 31. "They won't return to India with the other players. The details are being worked on, keeping the health protocols in mind," the source said, indicating that both the players will reach Nottingham directly and undergo their hard quarantine.

India lost the T20I series on Thursday after its top nine players were not available.