Ambati Rayudu can miss the England tour after failing the yo-yo fitness Test.
Rayudu had made his comeback after he had a stellar campaign in the 11th season of the Indian Premier League for Chennai Super Kings. Rayudu scored 602 runs with an average of 43. However, with his failing the yoyo Test, it is very unlikely that he will fly to England as part of the Indian team.
Here are three players who can take Rayudu’s place for English tour:
1- Rishabh Pant
Young Delhi batsman Rishabh Pant had taken the 11th season of Indian Premier League by a storm with his exceptional batting skills while playing for Delhi Daredevils.
Pant (128 against SunRisers Hyderabad ) also became the highest Indian run scorer in a single match surpassing Murali Vijay’s 127. Pant was also the second highest run-getter in IPL 2018. Pant snitched 684 runs in 14 matched at a strike rate of 173. Pant is also a wicket-keeper batsman and with the likes of former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik in the team, it is always tough for him to enter the Indian squad.
However, Ambati Rayudu absence can give Pant the perfect opportunity to stake his claim for permanent selection in Team India.
2- Ajinkya Rahane
India’s Mr Dependable Ajinkya Rahane is our second pick as Ambati Rayudu’s replacement. Though, Ajinkya Rahane was not exceptional with the bat in the IPL 2018, his records in overseas matches may earn him a place.
In the recently concluded Indian T20 league, Rahane scored 370 runs in 15 matches with a strike rate of 118 and at an average of 28.46.
Ajinkya Rahane had played 44 away ODIs and scored 1,435 runs with an average of 35.87. Rahane had scored two centuries and 11 half-centuries on the foreign soil.
In England, Ajinkya Rahane had scored 350 (which included one century and one half-century) runs in 9 ODI matches at an average of 38.88.
3- Suryakumar Yadav
Just like Rishabh Pant, Surya Kumar Yadav also had a stellar campaign in the recently concluded Indian Premier League. Suryakumar Yadav was also highest run-getter for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2018.
Suryakumar scored 512 runs in 14 matches with an average of 36.57. Yadav’s strike rate was 133.33. He scored four fifties for Mumbai and his highest score this season was 72.
Though Suryakumar Yadav has never featured in the Indian team for any formats (Test, T20I, ODIs) till now, but consistent performances in the domestic circuit cannot be ignored for too long. And there are high chances that he can earn a call from Indian team sooner rather than later.