Suryakumar Yadav clears most fitness tests, to play either on Apr 7 or 11
New Delhi, Apr 3: Mumbai Indians will soon get the much required batting boost as the world's No.1 ranked T20 batter Suryakumar Yadav has cleared almost all the fitness tests at National Cricket Academy and is very close to playing his first IPL game of the season.
Suryakumar had undergone multiple surgeries -- one for grade 2 ankle tear and another for sports hernia -- and he last played in the T20 series in South Africa.
"Surya has cleared all but one routine tests which are mandatory to get RTP (Return To Play) certificate from the NCA. There is one more test left to be conducted on Thursday, after which a clearer picture would emerge," a senior BCCI source told PTI on the condition of anonymity.
"He is batting comfortably and has done all simulations," he added.
Asked if Suryakumar will be able to play the Mumbai Indians' home game on April 7 against Delhi Capitals, the source said: "The clearer picture will emerge after tomorrow's tests. There's still three days before the next game but since it's a comeback after a long time, it could also be April 11 at home against RCB."
The swashbuckling batter has been MI's most prolific performer for the past four to five seasons and his absence from the playing XI has been felt by the team that has lost its first three matches this season.
His replacement Naman Dhir, the player from Punjab, is yet to measure up and beleaguered skipper Hardik Pandya would certainly need 'Mr 360 degree' to stem the rot.
As far as the BCCI's medical team is concerned, the clear mandate was to ensure that India's premier T20 batter is completely fit for the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies, and also make sure that there are no premature breakdowns during the IPL.
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Electorate in 9 states, UTs shrink by 1.70 crore after SIR
New Delhi (PTI): Voter base in nine states and Union territories has shrunk by more than 1.70 crore following the publication of final electoral rolls as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), according to official data.
The data shared by the chief electoral officers of Gujarat, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa and Kerala on Saturday showed that their combined voter base stood at over 21.45 crore before the SIR exercise began on October 27 last year.
It shrunk to 19.75 crore after publication of their final electoral rolls this week, a net change of over 1.70 crore electors.
While the exercise, which kept the Election Commission in the spotlight, has been completed in Bihar, it is currently underway in 12 states and Union territories covering nearly 60 crore electors.
The remaining 40 crore electors will be covered in 17 states and five Union territories.
In Assam, a "special revision", instead of SIR, was completed on February 10.
Due to a variety of reasons, the SIR in the nine states and three Union territories have seen frequent tweaking in schedules.
As in Bihar, political parties have approached the Supreme Court challenging the exercise in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
