India Skipper Rohit Sharma Out of Quarantine After Testing Negative, Starts Practicing in the Nets Ahead of T20I Series

Birmingham, Jul 3: Indian captain Rohit Sharma is finally out of isolation after having tested negative for COVID-19 and will now be available for the opening game of the white-ball series against England in Southampton on July 7.

The 35-year-old all-format captain missed out on playing the rescheduled fifth Test against England as he tested positive on the second day of the four-day warm-up game against Leicestershire.

“Yes, Rohit has tested negative and as per medical protocols is now out of quarantine. However, he is not playing today’s T20 warm-up game against Northamptonshire as he will need some recovery time and training ahead of first T20I,” a senior BCCI official told PTI.

As per medical protocol, any player, who is out of quarantine, needs to undergo mandatory cardiovascular tests to check the lung capacity and how it is functioning post COVID-19.

However as per pictures surfacing in social media, the 35-year old has started practicing in the nets ahead of the T20I Series.

Rohit Sharma practicing batting in the Nets in Edgbaston. pic.twitter.com/Ds3YBp2I6X

— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) July 3, 2022

The Indian team was desperate to play Rohit but he tested positive thrice before the game day and hence India had a new captain in Jasprit Bumrah.

While Rohit will play from the first game of the white ball series, the likes of Virat Kohli, Bumrah, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja will be available from the second game onwards.

Rohit scored 368 runs in four Tests at 52.57 when India toured England last year. He made two fifties and a hundred in the process. He started his leadership stint against Sri Lanka at home earlier this year. Under him, the Indian team crushed their sub-continental rivals in both Test matches.

(With Inputs From PTI)