Home
Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer have recovered from Covid-19 and will be available for training ahead of the second ODI, a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) source told Sports Tak. Dhawan and Iyer had tested positive for the virus last week and were in isolation. On the other hand, Ruturaj Gaikwad is still in isolation and will be under observation of BCCI team.
On Monday (February 7), reserve player Navdeep Saini trained with the squad after recovering from Covid-19. Saini had also contracted the virus last week.
If Dhawan is match-ready for the second ODI, he is likely to open the innings with skipper Rohit Sharma. In the first ODI, Ishan Kishan opened the innings and shared an 84-run partnership with the limited-overs skipper.
On February 7, Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul also trained with the squad. Rahul missed the first ODI due to personal reasons whereas Agarwal was called in as replacement after three Indian batters tested positive for the virus. Agarwal is unlikely to play in second ODI considering his
If Dhawan and Iyer become available for selection for the second ODI, the team management and the skipper will have a headache deciding the combination for the February 8 encounter. Dhawan is in good form having scored two half-centuries on South Africa tour and can't be ignored. In the middle order, Rahul and Iyer's comeback will mean that Deepak Hooda will warm the benches after a satisfactory debut in the first ODI. Even then, Rahul is more likely to bolster the middle-order as Iyer was unimpressive in the three-ODI series in South Africa.
