SL vs IND 2021: "Who will captain India?" - Twitterati ask after Shikhar Dhawan is ruled out of last two T20Is

Team India skipper Shikhar Dhawan is likely to miss the remainder of the T20I series against Sri Lanka, which is scheduled to take place on July 28 and 29.

Reportedly, Dhawan is among the eight cricketers who came in close contact with Krunal Pandya, who tested COVID-19 positive on Tuesday. They all tested negative in a fresh set of tests on Tuesday evening but are currently in isolation in a separate hotel and will miss the last two games.

With nine cricketers ruled out from their last two matches, India will have to hand out a couple of debut caps. Fans were anxious about India's new captain as soon as news of Shikhar Dhawan missing the last two matches surfaced on social media.

Meanwhile, in the absence of Shikhar Dhawan, veteran fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar is all set to make his captaincy debut in international cricket. He will look to make a winning start as India look to seal the series against Sri Lanka in the 2nd T20I.

2nd T20I between India and Sri Lanka deferred to July 28

Krunal Pandya tested COVID-19 positive after he complained of a sore throat on Tuesday and returned positive on both RT-PCT and rapid antigen tests. The BCCI medical team identified eight cricketers who came into close contact with the all-rounder and were all advised to go into isolation in a separate hotel.

With nine cricketers ruled out, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) were forced to postpone the 2nd T20I. The BCCI, in a statement released on Tuesday, said:

Although the cricketers have tested negative in a fresh set of tests, they are likely to undergo another couple of tests before reuniting with the whole squad.

The 2nd T20I between India and Sri Lanka is scheduled to take place on July 28 (Wednesday) at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

About the author

Ankush is a cricket journalist at Sportskeeda covering news, listicles, features, and exclusives. A graduate in Commerce and an accountant by qualification, Ankush followed his true calling for sports journalism, and today, has over 8 years of experience having working for the likes of Sportzwiki and Cricfit. Ankush places a very high emphasis on factual accuracy in his articles and believes in representing the true image of the story. Writing in the simplest and most easy-to-understand language possible, especially for those not well-versed with English, is one of his strengths.

Ankush, who captained his state in the National School games, is a big fan of Ravichandran Ashwin. He admires his unconventional thinking and his eagerness to keep learning despite being a legend of the game. His favorite cricket team is Australia because of their mentality and fighting spirit, and them beating India in the 2003 World Cup final left a lasting impression on him.

Apart from watching and covering cricket, Ankush also likes to read books whenever possible.

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