4 Players Who Are Failing To Make It To Team India Due To Poor Fitness

Gone are those days when fitness was least prioritised in Indian cricket. Just a decade ago, batting and bowling were the only disciplines which were considered when it came to selecting a player. In fact, the India team-management has made it mandatory for the players to clear the much-talked about Yo Yo Test in order to become eligible for selection.

Yo-Yo is a variation of the Beep test, a running aerobic fitness routine that Indian cricketers had to undergo in the past. But passing Beep was not mandatory for selection as is the case with Yo-Yo. The latest test probes a sportsperson’s endurance and ability to pace himself. Towards the end of the maximal running aerobic fitness drill, an element of speed comes into play.

Well, as a result of clearing the test becoming mandatory, several players are finding it tough to break it into the team. So here we take a look at 5 such players:

4. Praveen Kumar:

Few years ago, Praveen Kumar was the pace spearhead of the team in all the formats. He was being tipped to lead the pace attack after the retirement of Zaheer Khan. However, things did not pan out in expected ways as he soon lost his spot in the team.

He last played for India in 2012 and has not been on the scene since then. Discipline issues and fitness issues further slimmed his chances of returning to the side.

So far, he has played 6 Tests, 68 ODIs and 10 T20Is, picking 112 international wickets.

3. Ambati Rayudu:

Rayudu was set for a dream comeback to the Indian team this year after his IPL form helped him gain a recall for the ODI series in England. He played an integral role in Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) title-winning run this year. In fact, Ambati Rayudu had the best IPL with the bat, as he amassed 602 runs at a strike rate of 149.75 including one century.

The form earned him a deserved call for the recently-concluded ODI series against England.

However, he got dropped from the squad after failing to clear the mandatory yo-yo test. It shattered his dreams of returning to the team after a two-year absence.

Rayudu’s last ODI appearance had come in 2016 during the tour of Zimbabwe. Surprisingly, he is yet to appear for the fitness test. So far, he has played 34 ODIs and six Twenty20 Internationals for the Men in Blue.

2. Amit Mishra:

One of the most experienced and sought after spinners in the country at the moment, Mishra too has suffered because of fitness issues.

His last ODI appearance came in October 2016 against New Zealand, a game where he picked up 5 for 18 to fire India to a series win. However, he soon lost his place in the side due to his poor fitness. Mishra also failed to clear the fitness test in October last year. Moreover, the emergence of Yuzvendra Chahal has further hurt his chances of getting a recall.

1. Yuvraj Singh:

Yuvraj Singh received a dream call from the Indian team last year for the series against England at home. And he grabbed the chances with both hands by slamming 150 in the second game of the three-match series. But that was the one of the only handful of substantial knocks he played before being dropped after the tour of West Indies.

Since then, the southpaw has not been recalled to the team. And any chances of seeing him in action has further deteriorated because of his poor fitness. The World Cup-winning star has looked like a pale shadow of the brilliant fielder he once was.

In December last year, chief selector MSK Prasad had sensationally stated that Yuvraj has fitness issues.

“Yuvraj Singh has fitness issues. He has not played a lot of competitive cricket lately,” Prasad had said while announcing the squads.