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The Indian women's cricket team has received a massive jolt ahead of their Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022 opener against Australia on Friday (July 29) after another cricketer tested positive for COVID-19. She is the second cricketer to have contracted the virus.
The identity of both the players hasn't been revealed yet.
Both have stayed back in the country and will complete their mandatory isolation period. The rest of the squad led by Harmanpreet Kaur left for Birmingham on Sunday.
PTI quoted an Indian Olympic Association official as saying on Tuesday:
“A second player has tested positive for COVID-19 and it happened before departure. Both the players remain in India."
A couple of days back, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly confirmed that a UK-bound player has contracted the COVID-19 disease.
The cricketers will only be able to join the rest of the squad in the UK after they test negative. Hence, their participation in the tournament opener against Australia at Edgbaston looks unlikely.
"I don't think we'll look for just a podium finish" - Smriti Mandhana ahead of India's CWG 2022 campaign
Smriti Mandhana, who will be Harmanpreet's deputy in the competition, has stressed that they are aiming for gold and will not just settle for a podium finish in the upcoming CWG 2022.
Addressing reporters before the squad left for the UK, the southpaw stated:
"All the girls are really excited and we all know the feeling. We all know the feeling because we've all watched the Commonwealth and Olympics, when the Indian flag goes higher and we hear the national anthem... everyone knows that feeling and definitely we are aiming for gold.
"I don't think we'll look for just a podium finish because when the flag goes higher and the national anthem plays, that's the best feeling."
The Women in Blue are likely to begin their training for the first game later today (July 26).
