Sourav Ganguly speaks during an event at BCCI office. File

Ganguly, who underwent minor heart surgery in January, was admitted on Monday suffering from a mild fever, a senior doctor of the Woodlands Hospital in Kolkata said.

"His condition is stable. There is no cause for alarm at the moment," the medic told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"Ganguly has been advised by a team of medical experts of the hospital because of some pre-existing health condition."

The India Today news website reported that his samples had been sent for genome sequencing to confirm whether he had contracted the Omicron variant or not.

The 49-year-old, one of India's most popular players ever and who now heads the country's cricket board, was admitted to hospital twice in early 2021 with chest pain and underwent an angioplasty.

India, which suffered a devastating Covid wave in April, has so far confirmed around 650 Omicron infections and several states have imposed restrictions on gatherings.

Agence France-Presse