Seven Members of Bengal Ranji Trophy Squad test positive for Covid-19 – The COVID-19 virus has infiltrated the Bengal Ranji Trophy camp, with seven members of the squad testing positive for the virus. Six players and an assistant coach are among the seven who have received the illness.
This has resulted in the cancellation of practise sessions, as well as their departure to Bengaluru for the Elite Group B games, which are scheduled to commence on January 8.
Debabrata Das, joint secretary of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), told ESPNcricinfo that the positive results came after the entire squad was tested for Covid-19 while bearing “the pandemic scenario” in the state of West Bengal in mind.
According to the PTI, the seven squad members in question are players Sudip Chatterjee, Anustup Majumdar, Kazi Junaid Saifi, Geet Puri, Pradipta Pramanik and Sujit Yadav, and assistant coach Saurasish Lahiri.
Moreover, all seven members of the squad took part in the training session and practise games in Kolkata and have now been placed in isolation.
The team was scheduled to play a couple of warm-up games versus Mumbai, however due to the spread of the illness, the warm-up games have been cancelled.
According to ESPNcricinfo, Mumbai all rounder Shivam Dube and the team’s video analyst both tested positive for Covid-19 before the team’s departure for Kolkata, and Sairaj Patil has taken Dube’s position in the squad.
Seven Members of Bengal Ranji Trophy Squad test positive for Covid-19
“The CAB is taking all required precautions and actions in this regard,” said the association’s secretary, Snehasish Ganguly, in a statement.
However, Kolkata was assigned to host the Ranji Trophy group stage and knockout games, but all of those could be cancelled.
Furthermore, all local CAB-run competitions have been cancelled, and the association has called an emergency meeting, which is set to begin tomorrow
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“[The meeting’s] purpose is to assess the current Covid situation and make required decisions about the current holding of local tournaments (first division, second division, and district tournaments”),” CAB president Avishek Dalmiya stated in a statement.
“The association is taking immediate steps to vaccinate registered players in the 15-18 age categories since the health and safety of cricketers and all concerned is vital,” the statement continued.