News Sports Cricket Pooja Vastrakar, S Meghana test COVID-19 positive, stay back in India ahead of Commonwealth Games

Pooja Vastrakar, S Meghana test COVID-19 positive, stay back in India ahead of Commonwealth Games

All games, including the final, will be played at Edgbaston. According to the organizers, the tickets for the semifinals and the final are already sold out.

Vastrakar Image Source : SRI LANKA CRICKETPooja Vastrakar celebrates taking a wicket (file photo)

Pooja Vastrakar and S Meghana of the Indian women's cricket team have stayed back in the country as they tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of their first match at the Commonwealth Games.

Team India departed for Birmingham from Bengaluru on 24th July, Sunday.

India is set to lock horns with Australia in the side's opener in the Commonwealth Games on Friday.

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had earlier confirmed that one member of the touring party tested positive. The squad trained at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) ahead of the Games.

Women's cricket is making its debut at the Commonwealth Games.

"Vastrakar and Meghana have tested positive for COVID-19 and it happened before departure. Both the players will remain in India," an Indian Olympic Association official  said.

A BCCI source added: "As per protocol, both players can only join the team once they test negative."

The two players are unlikely to play the first match.  Will they be able to make it to the second game which is against arch-rivals Pakistan on July 31, is something to look out for. 

All games, including the final, will be played at Edgbaston. According to the organizers, the tickets for the semifinals and the final are already sold out.

Team India will be having its first training session later on Tuesday.

Ahead of the team's departure, India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur had spoken about how much playing in the Commonwealth Games meant to her and the team.

"We don't get to experience this often so really looking forward to it. The opening ceremony will be a special experience for all of us," she had said.

(Inputs from PTI)