Ishan Kishan added to India's ODI squad as Dhawan, Gaikwad test positive for COVID-19 - Report

The Indian cricket team has been dealt with a huge setback ahead of the start of the upcoming three-match ODI series against West Indies. The Men in Blue will lock horns with Kieron Pollard-led visitors in the first ODI of the series at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday (February 06).

Ahead of the series opener, three Indian players have tested positive for COVID-19 and are unlikely to feature in the three ODIs. Opening batters Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shreyas Iyer have all tested positive for coronavirus. Team India is facing a crunch in terms of the opening slot after Dhawan and Gaikwad's positive reports.

Vice-captain KL Rahul could have opened the batting with captain Rohit Sharma in the duo's absence. However, he is set to miss the first ODI due to personal reasons. As per a report in PTI, young wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan has been added to India's ODI squad ahead of the start of the series.

Kishan, who also plays as an opener, has reportedly joined the Indian team in Ahmedabad and is likely to be the reserve opener in the squad. There are chances that the left-hander might open the batting with Rohit in the first ODI against West Indies on Sunday.

Apart from Kishan, Mayank Agarwal has also reportedly joined the Indian team in Ahmedabad amid COVID-19 infection to three players. While Kishan was only part of the T20I series against West Indies, Mayank was not a part of either of the two squads for the limited-overs series against West Indies.

On Friday, the Indian team had their first training session in Ahmedabad where head coach Rahul Dravid introduced young spinner Ravi Bishnoi to the other members of the Indian team. Captain Rohit took charge of the session and was seen gearing up for his first major ODI assignment as India's captain.