IND vs ENG 2021: "The hope is that KL Rahul does not have to keep wickets" - Reetinder Sodhi on Pant and Saha being in isolation currently

Reetinder Sodhi hopes that Rishabh Pant and Wriddhiman Saha are fit and available for the first Test against England and KL Rahul does not have to end up donning the wicket-keeping gloves.

Pant is currently in quarantine after having tested positive for COVID-19 last week. Saha has also been placed in isolation after being deemed a close contact of training assistant Dayanand Garani, who has also tested positive.

🚨 JUST IN 🚨According reports, after Rishabh Pant, a member of Team India’s support staff - throwdown expert Dayanand Garani - has also tested positive for COVID-19, while two others - Wriddhiman Saha & a coaching staff - have been placed in precautionary isolation.#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/1Iq3uLKmEV

— Sportskeeda India (@Sportskeeda) July 15, 2021

During a discussion on India News, Reetinder Sodhi hoped that the two wicket-keepers would not be rendered hors de combat, thereby necessitating KL Rahul to play the gloveman's role. He said:

"We were thinking about the XI that will be played, which players are in good rhythm, but now both wicket-keepers are not present. The hope is that KL Rahul does not have to keep wickets."

The former India all-rounder added that the development has put a spanner on India's preparations for the Test series against England. Reetinder Sodhi elaborated:

"This is very tragic because you want to take advantage of the two practice matches before the series. You want to score runs and get acclimatized but now the fear will be that no one else should get infected. The players' mindset will be on the back foot, which is very unfortunate."

With Pant having tested positive a week back, the expectation is that he will recover well ahead of the first Test in Nottingham. However, he will have to miss Team India's practice matches scheduled to be played in Durham.

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"You are yourselves inviting danger" - Reetinder Sodhi

Reetinder Sodhi highlighted that the players should have shown more restraint [P/C: Twitter/Rishabh Pant]

Reetinder Sodhi pointed out that the players have themselves invited trouble. Pant was seen attending an EURO 2021 game in England without wearing a mask. Sodhi observed:

"It is an atmosphere of tension. There has been talk going on for such a long time that you should avoid crowded places and if it is necessary wear masks. If you are going without masks where there are so many spectators, then you are yourselves inviting danger."

The 40-year-old signed off by stating that the anger expressed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is justified. In this regard, Reetinder Sodhi said:

"This is very very sad and the board has expressed their anger and it is absolutely correct as well because the players will have to understand their responsibility themselves. Now the prayer is that everything remains fine."

While the BCCI had only given guidelines to the players to avoid crowded places, the players should have exercised more caution considering the growing COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah had written a letter to Indian players last month advising avoid going to crowded places such as Wimbledon and EURO Cup but they ignored and now Pant has been infected by Delta Variant.#ENGvIND #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/v1uBRTtleY

— Abhijeet ♞ (@TheYorkerBall) July 15, 2021