Ambati Rayudu fails Yo Yo test, set to be dropped from India squad

Bengaluru, June 16: Ambati Rayudu has dished out an impact performance for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2018, earning him a recall to the Indian ODI side to tour England. But his dreams of a return has shattered as he failed in the now mandatory Yo Yo test at the National Cricket Academy here.

Rayudu, who made 602 runs for the Super Kings with a hundred and three fifties and was the fourth highest run-getter in the IPL 2018, failed to attain the required 16.1 level of fitness the Yo Yo test while Indian skipper Virat Kohli and former skipper MS Dhoni emerged comfortable winners in the test.

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As such Rayudu is set to be dropped from the ODI squad. Earlier, pacer Mohammed Shami was dropped from the squad that faced Afghanistan in a one-off Test because of his failure in the fitness test. Sanju Samson was also earlier axed from the India 'A' squad that is set to tour England after he failed in the Yo-Yo test at the NCA.

Our very shy showstopper of the season! Presenting du du du du du du du du du du du du AM-BA-TI-RAAI-DU! #WhistlePodu pic.twitter.com/mqgOw6wxK3

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) May 29, 2018

"Almost all the players including skipper Virat Kohli have comfortably cleared the qualifying mark for the YoYo test. Ambati Rayudu is the only player in the UK-bound squad, who has failed to clear the fitness test. His score is well below the permissible 16.1 set for the India and India A team. Rayudu will be dropped from the squad," a senior BCCI official was quoted as saying by PTI.

In the past, high-profile names Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh and upcoming all-rounder Washington Sundar has failed to achieve the mandatory 16.1 mark in the Yo Yo test. And it has been rumoured that the Indian management - particularly skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri - want to rise the fitness mark from 16.1 to 16.3 in view of the ardous season ahead of the Indian team that culminates with the ICC World Cup 2019.

Candids from the Lions gathering yesterday! #SuperChampions #WhistlePodu 💛🦁 pic.twitter.com/hOH4LhPqvB

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) May 29, 2018

Kohli skipped the Test against Afghanistan, which India won inside two days under Ajinkya Rahane, and his County stint with Sussex after suffering a neck injury during a match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in this edition of the IPL. Apart from Kohli and Dhoni, other Indian players like Manish Pandey, Jasprit Bumrah, Siddharth Kaul, Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar cleared the Yo Yo test.