Aiden Markram tests Covid-19 positive, virus hits India vs South Africa T20 series

South Africa all-rounder Aiden Markram has tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the first T20I against India at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi on Thursday. There is no bio-bubble in the India vs South Africa series and thus the players are being tested regularly. Proteas captain Temba Bavuma revealed the news during the toss. Tristan Stubbs made his international debut replacing Markram.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT 

Tristan Stubbs makes his debut
Anrich Nortje and Wayne Parnell return
Aiden Markram sidelined due to medical reasons

 Ball by ball https://t.co/KNz7vLG39F
SuperSport Grandstand 201#INDvSA #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/71m7ef4iLL

— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) June 9, 2022

"Aiden was not available for selection as he tested positive for Covid, Stubbs comes in and it is a debut for him. We have two all-rounders; Dwaine and Parnell also come into the fold. It is an important series as we haven't been together as a group since the World Cup, it is a preparation for the World Cup coming up in Australia. For us it is about to build momentum and build confidence going ahead," Bavuma said during the toss. 

Earlier, BCCI took a bold decision to remove bio-bubble in the India vs South Africa series. Bio-bubbles became a part of the lives of cricketers with almost all the series (home and away) played in the strict bio-secure environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"If all goes well and things remain in control like it is right now, there will be no bio-bubbles and hard quarantine during the home series against South Africa,'' a senior BCCI official had told PTI on conditions of anonymity.  "Then we are going to Ireland and England and there won't be any bio-bubble in those countries too.''

"Some players have got periodic breaks but if you look at the bigger picture, living in bio-bubble one series after another and now two months of IPL is simply exhausting for the players,'' he said.

Playing XIs

India: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (captain & wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan and Yuzvendra Chahal

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Temba Bavuma (captain), Reeza Hendricks, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje