Xtra Time Web Desk: The Indian team management in Sri Lanka was forced to field a new look side for the 2nd T20I at the R Premadasa stadium on Wednesday. With a total of 11 players to choose from, the team management handed debuts to Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nitish Rana and Chetan Sakariya. The development comes after nine players – including Krunal Pandya who tested positive for Covid-19 – were effectively ruled out of the remaining two T20Is. Eight players including Hardik Pandya, Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Krishnappa Gowtham, Ishan Kishan, Manish Pandey and Deepak Chahar were in close contacts and were asked to isolate as a precautionary measure.
Based on the request of the Indian team management in Sri Lanka, the All-India Senior Selection Committee has named additions to India’s squad for the second and third T20Is. All the five net bowlers – Ishan Porel, Sandeep Warrier, Arshdeep Singh, R Sai Kishore and Simarjeet Singh were added to the squad for the remaining T20Is.
Meanwhile the test results for everyone including the eight identified close contacts of Krunal returned negative. Following the test on 27th July, a Rapid Antigen test was also conducted today (28th July) at noon and they have all returned negative results.
While the second T20I would mark debuts for Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devdutt Padikkal, Rana and Sakariya have already made their India debuts during the third ODI.
India leads the three match T20 series 1-0.