IND vs ENG: Rahul Tewatia Fails to Clear The Fitness Test Ahead of T20I Series
Haryana all-rounder Rahul Tewatia has failed the fitness Tests ahead of the five-match T20I series against England, as per reports of the Telegraph.
Rahul Tewatia’s availability for the upcoming five-match T20I series against England is uncertain after the Rajasthan Royals star failed to meet the minimum fitness requirement. As per the latest reports by The Telegraph, both Tewatia and mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy performed well below the fitness levels expected by national players.
Rahul Tewatia had been handed his maiden India call-up after his excellent performances for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2020 and Haryana in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy.
In the 2020 edition of IPL, Tewatia scored 255 runs at an average of 42.50, striking 140. Talking of the bowling department, he took 10- wickets at an impressive economy of 7.08. However, Tewatia came into the limelight for hitting 6 sixes in 8 balls in his 53*, against Punjab Kings in an IPL 2020 match in Sharjah, taking Royals to an unexpected victory.
A player needs to either score 17:1 in the Yo-Yo test or cover 2km in 8.3 minutes. The BCCI has made it essential for one of the parameters to be cleared for players to become eligible to play for India. This is due to an increased focus on fitness as India looks ahead to a jam-packed calendar starting from 2021.
However, it’s not the end of the road for Rahul Tewatia and Varun Chakravarthy as the duo will receive another chance to prove their fitness. A source clarified that it is not a concern if a player failed to meet the parameter in their first attempt.
“It has been introduced to push fitness standards and maintain endurance. He will get more than one chance,” a source said to The Telegraph.
National selectors and team management will take the final call on their availability after the National Cricket Academy (NCA) informed them about the latest developments.
