Rahul Tewatia, Varun Chakravarthy fail to clear BCCI fitness test; might miss England T20s

After earning his maiden India call-up, Rahul Tewatia's possible debut might be delayed as the Haryana all-rounder has failed to clear the fitness test mandated by the BCCI, sources have informed. The power-hitting all-rounder, who took the IPL 2020 by a storm with his explosive blitz, was called up for Team India's upcoming T20 series against England. However, Tewatia has been given another chance to cement his spot by taking a second shot at the fitness test. 

As per BCCI’s new parameter of fitness, a player either needs to score 17:1 in the Yo-Yo Test or cover 2 KM in the time frame of 8.3 minutes. It has become essential for players to qualify either of the parameters to be eligible to get included in the squad. 

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Chakravrthy faces similar difficulties

Apart from Tewatia, another IPL 2020 star Varun Chakravarthy also faces similar difficulties as he also failed to clear the fitness test. The spinner who shone with the ball for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2020 had earlier received his maiden India call up for the T20s against Australia last year. However, he had to miss the series due to an injury and earned his second call up for the T20s against England but now faces another possibility of delay in donning the Blue jersey. 

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After earning his maiden India call-up, Tewatia could not contain his excitement as he remarked that he was looking forward to sharing the dressing room with skipper Virat Kohli. "So far, I played against Virat Kohli in the IPL. Now I will play with him and share the dressing room with him. Cannot wait to share the dressing room with him and some of the best cricketers in world cricket. It will be all about learning from them and understanding how they compete against the best in the business and succeed," said Tewatia while speaking to ANI after being named in the Indian squad. 

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Ishan Kishan gets maiden call-up 

Ahead of the 5-match T20 series against England, the BCCI announced a power-packed 19-men squad led by skipper Virat Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma. Veteran speedster Bhuvaneshwar Kumar has also been included in the T20 squad after being sidelined for months due to injury. The pacer had sustained an injury during the IPL 2020 in UAE and had to pull out of the cash-rich tournament mid-way. The squad includes several players who had a brilliant IPL 2020 as Mumbai Indians' Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan also received their maiden India call up.

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