India head coach Ravi Shastri and his support staff colleagues Bharat Arun and R Sridhar are expected to depart from the UK for India on Wednesday only if the trio tests negative in the RT-PCR reports prior to their departure date.
Earlier, Shastri, who had tested positive for Covid-19 before the fourth Test between India and England at the Oval, has been in quarantine since September 4.
He will complete his 10-day isolation period along with Arun and Sridhar on Monday.
All the three of them needs to have negative RT-PCR reports before they leave the UK shores for India.
However, the trio is likely to join a much stricter bio-bubble in Dubai after the conclusion of the upcoming IPL 2021 remainder when the Virat kohli-led Team India assembles for the T20 World Cup.
As per reports, the trio have been recovering well and are mostly asymptomatic.
They will take their RT-PCR test on Monday and if all goes well, they can fly out on the original date of departure, that is September 15 however, a final call will be taken by the medical team.
Meanwhile, the other Indian support staff members will depart for India on Monday afternoon by commercial flight via Dubai.
On the other hand, physio Yogesh Parmar, who had tested positive on September 8, will have to remain in isolation for a few more days.
Earlier, the fifth and final Test between India and England at the Old Trafford was cancelled after Virat Kohli found it unable to field a team after the Indian camp was hit by Covid.
As per reports, the standalone Test will likley be held in July next year.
Meanwhile, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has reportedly written a letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC), urging it to decide the fate of the cancelled fifth Test against India at Old Trafford.
The ECB has meanwhile, hinted that it was writing to the global body as the two boards are far from reaching a settlement on the matter.
The ECB wants the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee to resolve the issue beside expecting that a forfeiture would be granted so that they can claim insurance as it will possibly suffer a loff aroun 40 million pound if the match is declared abandoned due to Covid-19.
Notably, if the global body declares the fifth and final Test as abandoned, India will win the series 2-1 but if England get a forfeiture as per the DRC ruling, it will be a 2-2 verdict and the host nation can also claim insurance.
On the other hand, if the issue comes in favour of India, ECB will most likley stands to incur huge losses as most of the 40 million pound is not covered under Covid insurance.
Meanwhile, after the cancellation of the fifth Test, the Indian-IPL bound cricketers have already left UK and most of them have reached UAE to partivipate in the remainder of the 2021 season.
After the first Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham resulted in a draw, the Virat Kohli-led Team India won the second Test at Lord’s by 151 runs before the home side made a comeback in the third affair, winning it by an innings and 76 runs at Headingley, Leeds.
The visitors however, took a 2-1 lead in the fourth Test at Kennington Oval, London after registering an impressive 157-run victory.