Sri Lanka opener Kusal Mendis tests positive for COVID-19 in Australia ahead of T20I series

Colombo: Sri Lanka’s opening batsman Kusal Mendis has tested positive for COVID-19 in Australia days before the start of a five-match T20 tournament, his country’s cricket board said Tuesday. The 27-year-old took a routine test on Monday, and a source from Sri Lanka Cricket told AFP that he would miss at least the first two matches of the series, which starts Friday. [caption id=“attachment_9760351” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  File image Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis. AP[/caption] “Mendis is currently undergoing COVID-19 protocols and placed in isolation since Monday,” the board said in a statement. Sri Lanka’s stand-in coach Rumesh Ratnayake, who was also down with the virus, joined the team two days ago after making a full recovery, the board added. Mendis returned to international cricket last month after appealing a 12-month ban for breaching coronavirus regulations while touring England last year. The first two T20 matches will be at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 11 and 13 February, followed by one match in Canberra and two in Melbourne. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.