Sri Lanka opener Mendis down with Covid in Australia

Sri Lanka's opening batsman Kusal Mendis has tested positive for Covid-19 in Australia days before the start of a five-match T20 series, 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 on Friday.

"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.