SLC medical department chief: “It’s not that he has got a new infection, it’s just that he has not cleared the old infection, according to their (Australia’s) level”

For that, though, he needed to return a negative RT-PCR test. ESPNcricinfo has learnt that Hasaranga, despite having returned a negative Rapid Antigen Test, had a positive RT-PCR test. That will allow him to leave Australia, but he will not be allowed to enter India without a negative report.

According to Arjuna de Silva, the head of SLC’s medical department, Hasaranga’s positive result is down to the fact that Australia requires a higher CT value for the result to be deemed negative; lower the CT value, higher the viral load. de Silva, though, expressed hope that Hasaranga would return a negative test soon.

“We’re doing PCRs daily, so as soon he’s negative, he can fly to India – maybe even tomorrow. He will then have to be assessed by the team doctor and the physio to determine if he can play any part in the tour”

Arjuna de Silva, head of SLC’s medical department

“Wanindu has finished his seven-day isolation. His CT value is very high in any case, so we hope that by tomorrow his PCR should be negative,” de Silva told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s not that he has got a new infection, it’s just that he has not cleared the old infection according to their (Australia’s) level. Each country has a different cut-off for a positive result, Australia’s is fairly high and so to reach that value takes some time.

“He’ll miss the first match [against India] for sure. Our job is to get him to India. Of course, whether he plays or not is a different matter. That depends on his fitness and other factors.

“We’re doing PCRs daily, so as soon he’s negative, he can fly to India – maybe even tomorrow. He will then have to be assessed by the team doctor and the physio to determine if he can play any part in the tour. At the moment, he has no symptoms.”

Sri Lanka will play three T20Is in India, on February 24, 26 and 27, with the action moving to Dharamsala after the first game. They will then play two Tests, the first from March 4 to 8 in Mohali and the second from March 12 to 16 in Bengaluru.

As such, Hasaranga might have to stay on in India after the Test series, and join the training sessions for Royal Challengers Bangalore, who bought the legspin-bowling allrounder back at the recent IPL auction for INR 10.75 crore (US$ 1.42 million). The 2022 edition of the IPL is expected to start around the end of March.