5 replacements for Ambati Rayudu for England tour

It was recently confirmed that Ambati Rayudu, who was all set to make a return to the Indian team following a stellar IPL campaign, had failed the yo-yo test, meaning he is likely to be dropped from the squad heading to England.

Rayudu was the backbone of CSK in their title-winning campaign, notching 602 runs at an average of 43. However, with the team management tightening the screws regarding fitness, Rayudu will miss out having failed miserably in the fitness test.

The middle-order batsman was a part of the ODI squad set to take on England later this year, but there are a number of players capable of stepping in and filling his shoes.

On that note, here are five players who can replace Ambati Rayudu in India's squad for the England tour:

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#5 Mayank Agarwal

Mayank Agarwal had a scintillating domestic season for Karnataka, scoring runs for fun in all formats and against all oppositions. He amassed 723 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy at an average of around 90. He also compiled 258 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with three half-centuries and a strike rate well over 140. He also notched a ridiculous 1160 runs in just 13 innings in the Ranji Trophy, including a triple century and five centuries, with an average of over 100.

Agarwal was widely expected to light the IPL on fire but flattered to deceive somewhat, expectations weighing too heavily on his shoulders. He was also unlucky to have missed out on India's squad for the Nidahas Trophy and also the one-off Test against Afghanistan.

Taking into account the kind of form he was in prior to the IPL, he can easily step into the Indian side in place of Rayudu.

Time is running out for Agarwal to make his entry into the international arena and what better opposition to do it against than the mighty England?

#4 Suryakumar Yadav

Mumbai Sports And Fitness

Yet another player coming off the back of a solid IPL campaign. Suryakumar Yadav found success at the top of the order for the Mumbai Indians, getting them off to steady starts more often than not. He is a versatile batsman capable of batting at any position in the line up with a wide array of innovative strokes.

Suryakumar Yadav still hasn't featured for India in any format but consistent performances in the domestic circuit cannot be ignored for too long and he might indeed earn a call-up sooner rather than later.

#3 Manoj Tiwary

Australia 'A' v India 'A' - Quadrangular Series Final

Manoj Tiwary was once considered one of Indian cricket's brightest talents but has faded away quite drastically. He last played for Indian in 2015, against Zimbabwe, but has the experience and skillset to make a successful return to the team.

He had quite a disappointing IPL season, featuring in only five games for his side. However, he was Bengal's best batsman in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, racking up 328 runs in 6 matches at an average of 109.33. While age is not on his side - he is already 33 - he does have the experience of 12 ODIs and 3 T20Is for India and the fact that Rayudu was picked in the first place implies that the selectors don't consider age to be an important factor while selecting a team.

#2 Kedar Jadhav

CRICKET-CT-2017-IND-PAK

A rather surprising name on the list, Kedar Jadhav was a regular in the Indian limited-overs setup until quite recently. However, poor returns with both bat and ball meant he fell out of favour. He was also ruled out of the IPL after suffering a hamstring injury right at the start of the tournament.

Jadhav has recovered though and passed the fitness test with flying colors. Considering his ability to deliver a few quiet overs aside from adding quick runs during the slog overs, he will be an upgrade on Rayudu although his fielding leaves a lot to be desired.

#1 Rishab Pant

IPL 2018

Possibly the biggest surprise exclusion of the lot. Pant had a scintillating IPL season and was the sole reason Delhi managed to get a few wins under their belt. Pant scored 684 runs at a strike rate of 173 for Delhi this past IPL season and looked in sublime touch throughout the course of the season.

With the likes of Dinesh Karthik and MS Dhoni in the team, it was always going to be tough for Pant to break into the team however now with Raydu likely to miss out, it could present him with the perfect opportunity to stake his claim for permanent selection.

Which player do you think should replace Rayudu? Let us know in the comments.