Retired Indian cricketer Laxmi Ratan Shukla said on Tuesday he has tested COVID-19 positive. The 40-year-old former all-rounder, also a former minister in the West Bengal government, also added that he was in home isolation.
"I have tested positive for COVID-19 and in home isolation. I have a high fever and I am following the doctor's advice. Other members of my family are fine," Shukla, who took retirement from all forms of cricket in 2015, told PTI.
Earlier on Monday, it was reported that Bengal's preparation for the Ranji Trophy has been hit with seven members including the assistant coach testing COVID-19 positive on Sunday.
Sudip Chatterjee, Anustup Majumdar, Kazi Junaid Saifi, Geet Puri and Pradipta Pramanik, who are among the six players to have tested positive, have also been named in the 21-member squad.
Bengal are slated to face Prthivi Shaw-led Mumbai in a two-day warmup game at CC&FC on January 6-7 before leaving for Bengaluru.
Squad: Abhimanyu Easwaran (c), Manoj Tiwary, Sudip Chatterjee, Anustup Majumdar, Abhishek Raman, Sudip Gharami, Abishek Das, Writtick Chatterjee, Ritwik Roy Chowdhury, Abhishek Porel, Shahbaz Ahmed, Sayan Sekhar Mondal, Akash Deep, Ishan Porel, Mukesh Kumar, Kazi Junaid Saifi, Sakir Habib Gandhi, Pradipta Pramanik, Geet Puri, Nilakantha Das and Karan Lal.
(Reported by PTI)
