Five India players isolating as governing bodies launch investigation

Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw and Navdeep Saini have been separated from the Indian and Australian squads

WARNING: The embedded tweet in this article contains offensive language

Five India players are in isolation after a video emerged on social media of the group eating at a restaurant indoors on New Year’s Day.

Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw and Navdeep Saini have been separated from the Indian and Australian squads but will still train "in accordance with the strict protocols that have been put in place to ensure the ongoing safety of all members of the Indian and Australian squads," said a Cricket Australia statement.

"The BCCI and CA are investigating the matter and seeking to determine whether the outing constitutes a breach of biosecurity protocols. 

"In the interim, on the advice of the Australian and Indian medical teams, the aforementioned players have been placed in isolation as a precaution. This will include separating the group of players from the broader Indian and Australian squads when traveling and at the training venue."

Bc mere saamne waale table par gill pant sharma saini fuckkkkkk pic.twitter.com/yQUvdu3shF

— Navaldeep Singh (@NavalGeekSingh) January 1, 2021

The video showing the five players around the table came from the Twitter account of Navaldeep Singh.

It is understood that Singh paid for his bill and then hugged pant, although on January 2, Singh said that there was no physical contact and that players kept their distance.

The four-Test series is being played with strict bio-secure protocols. On the Melbourne leg of the tour, players were permitted to dine outdoors. These protocols will be tighter in Sydney ahead of the New Year’s Test.

If any sanctions are placed on the involved players, then it will be at the discretion of the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI).

Subscribe to The Cricketer for exclusive content every day: The inside track on England's Test tour with George Dobell in Pakistan, award-winning analysis, breaking news and interviews and the only place for in-depth county coverage all year round. Plus: An ad-free app experience at your fingertips. Subscribe to thecricketer.com today for just £1.