Asia Cup T20 2022: Rahul Dravid tests COVID positive, trip to UAE delayed

India will participate in the 2022 Asia Cup T20 beginning on Saturday. Meanwhile, head coach Rahul Dravid has tested positive for COVID and will delay his departure to UAE, while Team India has flown out.

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Team India head coach Rahul Dravid has unfortunately tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, he did not accompany the Rohit Sharma-led Indian side that left for Dubai on Tuesday to compete in the Asia Cup T20 2022, starting Saturday. India will be playing arch-rival Pakistan in its opening encounter on Sunday.

"Rahul Dravid has tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently in isolation. We are still hopeful that he will recover soon and might join the team in due course," a senior BCCI official was quoted as saying by PTI. It is understood that assistant coach Paras Mhambrey will be guiding the side for now. However, whether the National Cricket Academy (NCA) head VVS Laxman will join the team in Dubai remains to be seen, as a call regarding the same will be taken later on Tuesday.

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"We haven't taken a call on whether VVS will be going to Dubai from Harare or not. A call will be taken accordingly, and if required, he will join. Till then, Paras Mhambrey will be in-charge. All other members are fit and left for UAE early in the day," he also confirmed.

While most of the team members left Mumbai on Tuesday morning, vice-captain KL Rahul, along with Deepak Hooda and reserve player Axar Patel, will be flying into the Gulf from Harare. They finished India's One-Day International (ODI) tour of Zimbabwe with the Men in Blue making a 3-0 clean sweep.

(With inputs from PTI)