Ishant rules himself out of SL tour

Recuperating after undergoing an ankle injury, fast bowler Ishant Sharma has ruled himself out of India’s ODI tour of Sri Lanka next month.

The 23- year- old speedster said that although he has resumed bowling and light training, it would be extremely difficult for him to attain match fitness before the scheduled Sri Lanka tour, which starts on July 22. “I’m feeling strong and good again and even started to bowl four- over spells.

However, it will be difficult to get fully fit in time for next month’s tour to Sri Lanka,” Ishant told Aaj Tak. “Intensity of bowling and fitness has to increase gradually and I would also need some match practice to check myself.

I think I will take two or three months more to regain match fitness,” he added after returning from his stint at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. Ishant had been suffering from pain in his right ankle, a result of extra growth in the bone and got the surgery done in London in the last week of March and had to miss this year’s Indian Premier League. “I had to look at the long term rather than short and I knew surgery was the best option,” he said.