ENG vs SL 2021: Two Sri Lanka players test Covid-19 positive, put into 14-day quarantine

Sri Lanka all-rounders Dhananjaya Lakshan and Ishan Jayaratne tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday (May 8) and are reportedly undergoing 14 days of quarantine. The duo was named in the provisional 28-man squad for the limited-overs tour of England in June-July this year.

The reports were confirmed during rapid-antigen tests conducted on all the players before administering them the first dose of the anti-Covid vaccine at the National Blood Bank in Colombo. The development puts the Sri Lankan team’s departure to the UK in slight jeopardy.

But their three-match ODI series in Bangladesh starting May 23 can go ahead unhindered given the two are not part of the 18-man contingent.

Both Lakshan and Jayaratne are yet to make their international debuts, but they have a staggering domestic record in limited-overs cricket. 22-year-old Lakshan has played 15 List A and 29 T20 matches thus far, amassing 453 runs and 12 wickets, and 294 runs and 17 wickets in the respective formats.

31-year-old Jayaratne is the more experienced of the two. In 96 List A and 51 T20 games, the Colombo lad has scored 782 runs and picked 121 wickets, and 478 runs and 68 wickets in each format.

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Sri Lanka to play 6 ODIs and 3 T20Is in the upcoming two series

Sri Lanka tour of Bangladesh

May 23, Friday | 1st ODI: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka

May 25, Tuesday | 2nd ODI: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka

May 28, Friday | 3rd ODI: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka

Sri Lanka tour of England

June 18, Friday | Practice OD: Kent vs Sri Lanka, St. Lawrence Ground, Canterbury

June 20, Sunday | Practice T20: Sussex vs Sri Lanka, County Ground, Hove

June 23, Wednesday | 1st T20I: England vs Sri Lanka, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

June 24, Thursday | 2nd T20: England vs Sri Lanka, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

June 26, Saturday | 3rd T20: England vs Sri Lanka, The Rose Bowl, Southampton

June 29, Tuesday | 1st ODI: England vs Sri Lanka, Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street

July 1, Thursday | 2nd ODI: England vs Sri Lanka, Kennington Oval, London

July 4, Sunday | 3rd ODI: England vs Sri Lanka, County Ground, Bristol