COVID-19: Team India players taking only COVISHIELD vaccine, here`s why

India pacer Jasprit Bumrah on Tuesday received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while on Monday, India skipper Virat Kohli, pacer Ishant Sharma, and batsman Cheteshwar Pujara also received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

Team India players are getting themselves vaccinated in a hurry, especially the ones who have been picked in the squad for World Test Championship (WTC) Final against New Zealand and for the Test series against England as they are scheduled to fly to the UK on June 2 as per reports.

India pacer Jasprit Bumrah on Tuesday (May 11) received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while on Monday (May 10), India skipper Virat Kohli, pacer Ishant Sharma, and batsman Cheteshwar Pujara also received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

Last week, Umesh Yadav, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane and his wife had taken their first jab.

Notably, all the England-bound players are taking only the Covishield vaccine in and not the Covaxin.

It is worth mentioning that the second dose of the vaccine requires a gap of a minimum of 28 days and the 24 players bound for England will be in the UK as the Team Indian contingent leaves at the start of June. Thus, BCCI has asked the players to get the Covishield vaccine instead of the Covaxin, as Covishield is based on Oxford-the AstraZeneca vaccine (a UK based product) meaning that the Indian players can get the second jab easily during the five-match Test series against England.

Talking to TOI, a BCCI source said, "It is advised that they take Covishield in India because it is based on the AstraZeneca vaccine, a UK product. They may get the second shot in the UK. Getting a different vaccine [Covaxin] here is of no use.”

Team India will be playing the WTC final against New Zealand in a bio-bubble at the Rose Bowl in Southampton from June 18.

After the WTC, India will play a series of 5 Tests against England in Nottingham, London, Leeds and Manchester between August 4 and September 14.

India’s squad for WTC Final and England Tests:

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul (subject to fitness clearance), Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper; subject to fitness clearance).

Standby players: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Arzan Nagwaswalla.