U-19 World Cup: BCCI rushes back-up players to bolster Covid-hit Indian team

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is sending the backup players for the Indian team that has been devastated by Covid-19 at the ongoing Under-19 World Cup in the West Indies.

At least five under 19 players — Abhishek Porel (Bengal), Uday Saharan (Rajasthan), Rishith Reddy (Hyderabad), Ansh Gosai (Saurashtra), and PM Singh Yadav (Rajasthan) — are being flown on Friday night to the West Indies as back-ups to the Yash Dhull-led side, which has had to isolate six players, including the skipper himself, due to Covid-19, a Cricbuzz report said.

The players will be joining the squad in Trinidad, where the team is scheduled to take on Uganda in the third and final Group B game on Saturday.

Tremendous show of character and maturity from the U-19 team. With just 11 players available for today’s game, to go out and express themselves the way they did was phenomenal. Can’t say how proud I am of them! The Ireland match is one they will cherish for life #U19CWC pic.twitter.com/zCmuM8cQWg

— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) January 20, 2022

However, there has been no formal request from the Indian team management to the International Cricket Council (ICC) for replacements for the squad but the reinforcements are being flown as backup options.

“The team management will take the final call if any of them will have to be included in the official squad,” a BCCI official close to the development, confirmed to Cricbuzz on Friday.

Earlier, six India players — vice-captain SK Rasheed, Manav Parakh, Siddarth Yadav, Aaradhya Yadav and Vasu Vats besides skipper Dhull — were forced into isolation for returning positive either in RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen tests ahead of their game against Ireland. All these six players continue to be in isolation, which means they will miss the game against Uganda.

India, hot favourites for the title, won two back-to-back matches and are in a comfortable position, having already booked a berth in the Super League quarter-finals.

However, India have their knockout fixture scheduled in another country, Antigua and Barbuda, which means that the players who are currently in Trinidad and Tobago will have to return negative Covid tests before they can fly out.