Team India head coach Rahul Dravid has tested negative for Covid-19 and joined the team in Dubai ahead of the blockbuster Asia Cup game against Pakistan on Sunday evening.
Dravid’s return will boost the morale of the team as it looks to avenge the 10-wicket defeat inflicted by Pakistan at the same venue during the ICC T20 World Cup last year.
Dravid had tested positive for Covid-19 on August 23, placing his involvement during the Asia Cup in doubt, with former batter and present National Cricket Academy (NCA) head VVS Laxman being named as the interim head coach.
Dravid’s presence will be a big relief for skipper Rohit Sharma as the duo try to solidify their playing XI with an eye on the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.
Dravid was assessed by the BCCI medical team and after he tested negative for Covid-19, he was allowed to board the flight to Dubai.
Pakistan cricket team to wear black armbands in match vs India
The Pakistan cricket team will wear black armbands in their opening match of the ACC T20 Asia Cup 2022 against India on Sunday evening to express solidarity with the flood victims in their country.
Heavy downpour has continued to pummel parts of Pakistan already battered by calamitous floods of epic proportions, unleashing death and destruction in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Balochistan and Sindh provinces.
Scores of people have died in KP, where heavy rains have triggered devastating floods in rivers and streams that also swept away several homes near their banks. Balochistan has remained cut off from the rest of the country due to fresh rains.
On Saturday, in pre-match conference, Pakistan captain Babar Azam appealed to the world to pray for and help the flood-affected people of his country. Babar said it is a tough time “in our country and we all are praying for the affected people”.
More than 30 million people have been affected by floods and over 1,000 deaths have been reported by the local media.
Sunday’s clash between India and Pakistan here will see the resumption of the ‘greatest rivalry’ in the world of cricket. This will also be the first meeting between these two teams after facing off in the Men’s T20 World Cup last year in the UAE, where Pakistan secured a resounding 10-wicket win over India, their first such victory in Men’s World Cups.
