Wanindu Hasaranga tests positive for Covid-19 ahead of third T20I against Australia

Sri Lanka allrounder Wanindu Hasaranga has returned a Covid-19 positive Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) on the morning of the third T20I against Australia in Canberra. He is currently placed in isolation, and the match is expected to go ahead as scheduled.

Hasaranga is the third member of the touring party to test positive for the virus after Kusal Mendis and Binura Fernando. Mendis, who returned a positive test on February 7, is expected to be available for selection for the third T20I after serving a seven-day isolation. Fernando, meanwhile, has been ruled out of the T20I series after testing positive on Saturday, the day after the series opener in Sydney.

According to Arjuna de Silva, head of SLC's medical department, Hasaranga will certainly miss the rest of the tour with Australian government protocols requiring a minimum seven-day isolation period upon contracting the virus. The series ends with the fifth T20I on February 20 in Melbourne.

Hasaranga is also understood to be showing mild symptoms, but SLC are hopeful of having him back for next month's tour of India.

"He has some mild symptoms, some body aches," de Silva said. "We think he probably contracted it from Binura. Unfortunately there's no way that he'll be able to play again on the tour, as he can only start training after three negative PCRs. After this tour, we're going straight to India, so the aim now is to get him fit for that."

Hasaranga played in the first and the second T20Is, picking up a total of five wickets.

Over the weekend, Hasaranga also bagged a big IPL deal when he was bought back by Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 10.75 crore (USD 1.43 million). Hasaranga's first team was also Royal Challengers and he had played two matches for them in IPL 2021.