India's limited-overs series against Sri Lanka is now set to begin on July 18 as the BCCI and the SLC announced a revised schedule "based on health advisories following the detection of two COVID-19 positive cases by the Sri Lankan squad". " The ODIs will now be played on July 18, 20 and 23, followed by T20 matches on July 25, 27 and 29.
Sri Lankan data analyst GT Niroshan on Friday was the second Covid-19 case in the Sri Lankan camp after batting coach Grant Flower tested positive on Thursday after arriving from England.
SLC have put together two back-up squads, one group in Colombo and the other in Dambulla, as part of their contingency measure to advance the India series. A player from the back-up team in Colombo also tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday, but it remains to be seen whether this will affect Sri Lanka's preparations.
Meanwhile, players currently in Colombo have been forced to isolate for two more days after Niroshan and Flower tested positive for the delta version of the virus. This extended isolation period would have left Sri Lanka with no outside season before the series began on 13 July.
"We understand that the circumstances are exceptional, but the BCCI would like to extend its full support to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) for the smooth conduct of the upcoming series during this difficult time," BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said in a media release. “Our medical team is in constant touch with the team of doctors at SLC and together are following all the safety protocols which will help the chain move forward. We are confident that both the countries will put up a spirited show in the coming days and We are in for some exciting cricket."
The Sri Lankan team returned home from England early last week after a short limited-overs tour. The India series postponement is the latest issue SLC has to grapple with, even as they suddenly announced the captaincy switch from Kusal Perera to Dasun Shanaka, behind a messy contract stand-off between the players and the board .