Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina face uncertain future as Team India harps on fitness

Courtesy: PTI

New Delhi: After returning at the helm as the head coach of national cricket team, Ravi Shastri has formed a successful partnership with captain Virat Kohli. Their cordial relationship has reflected in how the team has been performing in the field, winning. But with the all-important ICC World Cup less than two years from now, their focus has been on building a pool of players.

That's where some huge decisions would be required to take regarding the future of players like Mahendra Sing Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina. About the former Indian captain, who has played important knocks in the ongoing ODI series in India, Shastri has said that the stalwart is not even "half finished yet" and is very much in the scheme of things for the 2019 World Cup in England.

But other two limited-overs specialists now face uncertain future. The reason for Yuvraj missing the bus to Sri Lanka has been attrtibuted to his fitness, or the lack of it. The same can be said about Raina. Both the players are believed to working hard to regain supreme fitness and stay in contention of national reckoning again.

"Most of our players have played in this series already, and the endeavour will be to rotate the players giving everyone enough opportunity. So that when we have 12-15 months to go for the World Cup, we have a nucleus of about 18-20 players in place. And we can then choose from this group just before the World Cup begins," Shastri said.

The 55-year-old then elaborated how that pool will be formed, saying there will be no compromise on fitness.

"Obviously form will be important before that too, but the nucleus will be pretty much in place.

"We want the best fielding side on the park. That's it. So how do you become the best fielding side on the park? Fitness. And that's why there have been parameters set.

"When there are parameters put in place and that's the vision of the team, then everyone has to fit into those parameters. It is as simple as that," he added.

Shastri's reign as full-time coach has seen a winning start for team India as they won a second consecutive Test series in Sri Lanka and now have already wrapped up the ODI series in dominant style.

India will play Sri Lanka in the fifth and final match of the ongoing ODI series on Sunday (September 3) in Colombo. Kohli & Co have already taken an unassailable 4-0 lead. The tour will culminate with the lone T20I match on Wednesday (September 6).