Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina were not dropped because of new yo-yo test, says source

What's the story?

Media reports suggested that veteran cricketer, Yuvraj Singh and left-handed batsman, Suresh Raina were left out of the Indian ODI squad for the Sri Lanka tour due to a failed yo-yo test, which is a new fitness test employed by the BCCI.

However, that not be the reason for their exclusion at all.

“Those reports are completely wrong. It wasn't the reason for his omission," a source close to the selection committee told Times of India.

“The Yo-Yo test is done to assess the aerobic fitness of an individual. However, it is not just that one aspect that decides a player's fitness levels. There are many other tests that are done to measure the strength, flexibility, speed, power, agility, core strength etc.I don't think the BCCI would drop or remove somebody just based on the report of one test,“ said Ramji Srinivasan, who was a trainer in the Indian cricket team from 2009 to 2013, echoing the source's opinion.

In case you didn't know...

Both Singh and Raina were spotted at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore prior to the squad announcement. Hence, it was a given that the duo would travel to Sri Lanka for the ODI series.

However, the official announcement of the squad left everyone surprised, as both the names were not present on the list of 15 players that were to play the limited-overs series. It was then asserted that the middle-order batsmen failed the yo-yo test during their time at the NCA, which led the selectors to turn to other options.

The details

Srinivasan added that he has seen both Yuvraj and Raina for the past 15 years. Admiring their work ethic, he stated that they always set the standards high. He also revealed that Yuvraj worked tremendously hard on his fitness to stage his tremendous comeback after getting cancer.

It was because of observations like these that he was shocked at the reports of the pair had failed their respective yo-yo tests.

What's next?

India will next play ODI cricket against Australia in September, where they host the kangaroos for a five-match series. It will soon be followed by New Zealand's tour of India, which will also comprise an extensive ODI series.

If the national selectors pertain to their rotation policy for squad selection, both Yuvraj and Raina have a considerable chance of getting a peak in somewhere for these series. Both the left-handed batsmen have to ensure that they keep themselves ready for that opportunity and make a massive impact as soon as presents itself.

Author's take

The road ahead looks tough for both Yuvraj and Raina, irrespective of whether they failed the fitness test or not. The spots they are aiming for have high competition and the duo has to train and play out of their skins to slot their names into the same.