After having a decent performance in the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League, when everything was set for Ambati Rayudu’s return to the national team, a fitness fiasco forced him to be left out in the cold again.
Cricket news: As a result he was left out from several squads by the management
Rayudu had a magnificent season with Chennai Super Kings scoring 602 runs at a strike rate of nearly 150, and as a result was picked for the ODI squad heading for England.
However he failed to clear the mandatory yo-yo fitness test and was later replaced by Suresh Raina, who was already included in the T20I squad.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had given a time period of six weeks to appear again for the yo-yo test, but Rayudu did not appear for the test as he said he needed more time.
As a result the 32-year-old batsman from Andhra Pradesh was omitted from India A and B squads for a quadrangular series, three Duleep Trophy squads and also India A squad for two four-day games against South Africa A.
The Board has been harsh and has asked the selectors strictly not to opt for players whose fitness levels are not up to the mark.
Rayudu’s last international appearance was in June 2016. He went to England with the junior squad of Chennai Super Kings and has said that he needed two weeks more to appear for the yo-yo test, as he hopes to make himself available for the Asia Cup in September.