Chennai Super Kings batsman Ambati Rayudu has been dropped from the Indian squad after failing the mandatory yo-yo fitness test. Seasoned batsman Suresh Raina will replace Rayudu in the One-Day International team heading to England.
The 32-year-old's score was found to be well below the threshold mark of 16.1 during the test on Friday. Several members of the squad, including skipper Virat Kohli and keeper MS Dhoni, underwent the test at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru under the close eye of trainer Shankar Basu and other support staff.
"The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Suresh Raina as Ambati Rayudu's replacement in India's ODI squad for the series against England," a BCCI statement confirmed.
"The announcement came after Rayudu failed to clear his fitness test that was held at NCA, Bengaluru on Friday," it added.
Rayudu last appeared in Indian colours in an ODI against Zimbabwe in June 2016 and was on his way back to the national squad after a successful outing in the recently concluded Indian Premier League. He finished as the leading run-getter for champions Chennai Super Kings, and the fourth highest overall with 602 runs in the 2018 edition.
The BCCI has increasingly put more emphasis on fitness after the arrival of Virat Kohli. As captain, Kohli has set the standard for his teammates and has worked closely with coach Ravi Shastri to ensure that players are as fit as possible. The yo-yo test has become a key criterion for determining fitness standard, with several players such as Yuvraj Singh being dropped in recent years for failing to reach the minimum threshold.
India's tour to England begins on July 3 with a series of three T20I's and three ODI's. From August 1 to September 11, India will play a five-match test series against the hosts.
Indian ODI squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Lokesh Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Siddarth Kaul, Umesh Yadav.
[With inputs from IANS]
