Varun Chakravarthy could yet again be ruled out from making his India debut after reportedly failing to prove his fitness. Chakravarthy was named in the 19-member Indian squad for the five-match T20I series against England but could miss out on making his debut after failing to match the new fitness benchmark for the national team. He had been earlier picked for the T20I series in Australia but had to opt-out from the squad due to a shoulder injury. India are set to host England in a five-match T20I series starting from March 12 in Ahmedabad. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane & Others Gear Up for India vs England 4th Test 2021 in Ahmedabad (View Pics).

According to a report from Cricbuzz, the 29-year-old spinner didn’t fare well in his latest fitness test and could be left out from the squad for the T20I series. The report states that Chakravarthy could not match the fitness benchmark of the national team, which is either completing a 2km run in 8.5 minutes or scoring 17.1 in the Yo-Yo Test. Rohit Sharma ‘Wonders’ How Ahmedabad Pitch Will Behave, Hitman Makes Cheeky Instagram Post Ahead of IND vs ENG 4th Test 2021.

If he fails the fitness test, Chakravarthy could yet again miss out on a potential India debut. He had been earlier picked for the three-match T20I series against Australia last November on the back of impressive IPL 2020 with the Kolkata Knight Riders where he picked 17 wickets in 13 matches. It was revealed Chakravarthy had a shoulder problem and faced a problem with throwing the ball.

He then underwent rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore and is currently training with the KKR squad in Mumbai. The Karnataka mystery spinner was not picked for the Vijay Hazare Trophy by his state team and had also been looked over for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament last year.

India, meanwhile, will look to continue their good run in the T20Is. Virat Kohli’s men are unbeaten in their last seven T20I series. They beat Australia 2-1 in their last T20I series and have never lost a T20I series to England.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 01, 2021 11:57 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).