Opener Mayank Agarwal was added to India’s ODI squad for the upcoming home series against West Indies. The addition is a result of seven members, including three players, testing positive for COVID-19. Kieron Pollard and company are touring India for three 50-over and as many T20I games. 

“The All-India Senior Selection Committee has added Mayank Agarwal to India’s ODI squad after seven members, including three players of Team India (Senior Men) tested positive for COVID-19 following three rounds of RT-PCR testing,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said. 

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Mayank Agarwal last represented India in ODIs in November 2020 against Australia. In five 50-over games, the 30-year-old has scored 86 runs at an average of 17.20.

His addition is a result of a COVID-19 outbreak that hit the Indian camp on Wednesday. Three key players, senior opener Shikhar Dhawan, reserve opener Ruturaj Gaikwad and middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer, tested positive for the virus. They were in their mandatory isolation period before the start of West Indies series. 

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Net bowler Navdeep Saini and three other members of the team also tested positive for the coronavirus. 

The Indian team assembled in Ahmedabad on January 31 for the upcoming white-ball series against the West Indies and were going through a three-day isolation period post their break from the South Africa series.

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The series starts in Ahmedabad on February 6 with India’s 1000th ODI match but it is now a foregone conclusion that the trio will be missing the series as they will have to undergo a week-long isolation and then return with two negative RT-PCR tests.