Asia Cup: Rahul Dravid tests COVID positive, won't travel to UAE

Indian cricket team’s head coach Rahul Dravid has tested positive for COVID-19 and did not travel to Dubai for the Asia Cup, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Tuesday (August 23).

The Indian cricket board said the former captain has mild symptoms and is under the supervision of the BCCI’s medical team. He will join the Rohit Sharma-led team once he tests negative.

“Team India Head Coach Rahul Dravid has tested positive for COVID-19 in a routine test conducted ahead of the team’s departure to the UAE for Asia Cup 2022. Mr. Dravid is under the supervision of the BCCI Medical team and has mild symptoms. He will join the team once he returns with a negative COVID-19 report,” the BCCI said in a media advisory.

Also read: Rahul Dravid’s Total Cricket and Indian team’s way ahead

The rest of the team will assemble in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 23rd August, it added.

Asia Cup Twenty20 tournament starts in the UAE on August 27. India faces Pakistan in its opening game on August 28.

While the majority of the members of the team left from Mumbai on Tuesday morning, vice-captain KL Rahul, Deepak Hooda and reserve player Axar Patel will travel from Harare, having finished their Zimbabwe ODIs assignment.

Also read: Cricketers need breaks; but how much is too much, and why not a pay-cut?

On Monday, India, led by Rahul, completed a 3-0 clean sweep of the ODI series against Zimbabwe.

Asia Cup India squad, groups, and fixtures

India squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan.

Group A: India, Pakistan, Qualifier (TBD)

Group B: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan

Saturday, August 27: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan (Dubai)

Sunday, August 28: India vs Pakistan (Dubai)

Tuesday, August 30: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan (Sharjah)

Wednesday, Aug 31: India vs Qualifier (Dubai)

Thursday, September 1: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh (Dubai)

Friday, September 2: Pakistan vs Qualifier (Sharjah) Super Fours

Saturday, September 3: B1 vs B2 (Sharjah)

Sunday, September 4: A1 vs A2 (Dubai)

Tuesday, September 6: A1 vs B1 (Dubai)

Wednesday, September 7: A2 vs B2 (Dubai)

Thursday, September 8: A1 vs B2 (Dubai)

Friday, September 9: B1 vs A2 (Dubai)

Sunday, September 11: Final (Dubai).