The touring Indian women’s team could finally be set to have a full squad to select from after Smriti Mandhana, Meghna Singh and Renuka Singh completed their quarantine duration in New Zealand, reported ESPNCricinfo.
Mandhana, the national team’s opener, posted on Instagram on Tuesday: “Finally out of Quarantine!! Can’t wait to get back with the team.”
The three players were housed in the New Zealand government’s Mandatory Isolation and Quarantine facility, and were not allowed to join the remaining squad of 15 players, support staff and two selectors, who had earlier completed quarantine upon arriving in the country, according to the report.
The trio will now travel to Queenstown in south New Zealand where the touring party had arrived for a solitary T20, and five-match One-Day International series. In their absence, the Indian team has so far lost the T20, and are trailing 2-0 in the ODI series.
It’s uncertain why the three players were made to remain in quarantine as the BCCI has not put out a statement yet. According to the report on Espncricinfo, one of the three players had tested positive for Covid-19 while the other two were deemed close contacts.
The tour is crucial in India’s preparation for the upcoming World Cup that is scheduled to start in March. India will play their third ODI against the White Ferns on February 18, at 3:30 Hrs IST.
Earlier, after the one-off T20I, batter Yastika Bhatia had informed about the stay in MIQ of Mandhana, Meghana Singh and Renuka Singh.
The Indian team had undergone a 10-day MIQ in Christchurch after its arrival in New Zealand. The team had undergone a week of hard quarantine in Mumbai before its departure on January 24. To reduce the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak, New Zealand Cricket had moved all of India’s fixtures, including a T20I and five ODIs, to Queenstown.
(With PTI inputs)