Muristek
Osbourn (Antigua), January 28
Covid-hit India will be bolstered by the return of key players, including skipper Yash Dhull, when the record four-time champions meet holders Bangladesh in the third quarterfinal of the Under-19 World Cup here tomorrow.
Of the six players who had contracted the virus, most have recovered and are set to feature in the crucial clash. However, Nishant Sindhu, the stand-in captain in the absence of Dhull, has tested positive and will miss out. He will be replaced by Aneeshwar Gautam.
Dhull, his deputy Shaik Rasheed, Siddarth Yadav, Aaradhya Yadav and Manav Parakh, who had returned positive RT-PCR tests before their match against Ireland, are available now.
Dhull and the other infected players reached Antigua on Friday morning after undergoing seven days of isolation in Trinidad. "They have been medically deemed fit to play. They have a day or so to train and be game-ready," an ICC source said.
They had also missed the last league game against Uganda. However, the depth in the squad ensured India won both those games comfortably and qualified for the quarterfinals as group toppers. "Most of the players have recovered and should be fit enough to play tomorrow," a BCCI official said.
The game will be a rematch of the previous edition's final in 2020 when Bangladesh had stunned the favourites to win their maiden title. Current Bangladesh skipper Rakibul Hasan was a part of that memorable final. —