IND vs SL 2021: Suryakumar Yadav, Prithvi Shaw among close contacts of Krunal Pandya, doubtful for 2nd T20I - Reports

Suryakumar Yadav and Prithvi Shaw are reportedly among the eight Team India members identified as the close contacts of all-rounder Krunal Pandya, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday (July 27).

According to the Times of India, Krunal Pandya's brother and all-rounder Hardik Pandya, wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan and Karnataka duo Devdutt Padikkal and Krishnappa Gowtham are the other close contacts. The remaining two names are yet to be identified.

The second India-Sri Lanka T20I was postponed for 24 hours after Krunal Pandya's positive RTPCR test and is likely to be played on Wednesday. Although all close contacts had tested negative, they are unlikely to play in the match as a precautionary measure.

NEWS : Krunal Pandya tests positive.Second Sri Lanka-India T20I postponed to July 28.The entire contingent is undergoing RT-PCR tests today to ascertain any further outbreak in the squad.#SLvIND

— BCCI (@BCCI) July 27, 2021

Suryakumar Yadav and Prithvi Shaw's names on the list are the most worrying factors for India. The duo were recently selected to join the Virat Kohli-led Test team in England as injury replacements. However, the recent developments might put a spanner in that plan as well. Informed sources told TOI:

“As it is, whether the players leave now or after a couple of days, they won’t be able to join the team (in England) in time for the first two Tests and now, in fact, even the third doesn’t look possible. There’s mandatory quarantine after flying to England and it’ll take time before they can join the team there.”

Although the source of Krunal Pandya's infection is yet to be ascertained, reports suggest that a broadcast crew had joined the Indian team in their bio-bubble without following all the procedures ahead of the T20I series.

Team India's possible XI without Krunal Pandya and co. for the 2nd T20I

Time to comeback in blue again ? pic.twitter.com/Ir3fBczaUT

— Disciplined Dravid Bhai (@dravidbhai1701) July 28, 2021

With all the identified close contacts being batsmen and all-rounders, it will put immense pressure on the team's batting strength for the second T20I. India have taken a 20-member squad to the tour, apart from five nets bowlers.

Assuming the aforementioned are the only players who might miss out on the game, India will have to pick as many as six frontline bowling options, with Deepak Chahar batting at no.6.

India's possible XI: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson (wk), Manish Pandey, Nitish Rana, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rahul Chahar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav/Chetan Sakariya.