Murali Vijay ruled out of the Ranji Trophy quarter-final clash against Karnataka

Indian Test opener Murali Vijay who was named in the Tamil Nadu squad for the Ranji Trophy 2016-17 quarter-final against Karnataka that starts on 23rd December has been ruled out of the match. Vijay was initially named in the TN squad along with Indian teammate Ravichandran Ashwin. But a couple of days ahead of the match both the star performers have confirmed that they will not be participating in the game due to individual injuries.

ESPNCricinfo quoted TNCA secretary Kasi Viswanathan saying that Vijay wasn’t fully fit and they didn’t want to take a chance. “Even [as early as] yesterday evening, the BCCI support staff told us he was very unlikely to play,” he said. “Even without the scan, they said he was only 60 percent fit. Today, they have confirmed and we have asked him to take rest.

They were named in the squad while the Indian team was playing the last Test match of the series against England at the M Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Team India won the game by a comprehensive innings and 75 runs margin but both the players who were playing at their home ground didn’t have the best of matches. While Ashwin who had been at the top of the wicket-takers chart for the most part of the year was able to pick just one wicket, Vijay scored 29 runs batting at No.6.

Vijay had hurt his shoulder while fielding in England’s first innings and was out of the ground for most past of day 2 that kept him off opening the batting for India and couldn’t walk out until the 5th wicket. Though he continued for the remainder of the game it wouldn’t be nice to take a chance with someone who already is supposed to play a lot of matches in the ongoing season and has of late had troubles with injuries.

“When they were playing the Test match, we didn’t know [about their injuries]. When they were available for the matches they were selected, that’s all,” Viswanathan said.