While most Indian cricketers gathered at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru for their mandatory fitness tests, Virat Kohli stood out as the only player to complete his assessment in London. Staying with his family in the UK, Kohli reportedly sought and received special permission from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to undergo the test abroad.
Though he passed the evaluation, the decision to allow this exemption has sparked a debate, given that the BCCI usually mandates all tests to be conducted at the NCA.
Other Players Tested in Bengaluru
Top stars including Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj, and several others successfully cleared their fitness checks in Bengaluru. Kohli too met the required standards, but his assessment under approved supervision in London was the only one conducted outside the country.
A report in Dainik Jagran noted that no other cricketer had sought a similar exemption, making Kohli’s case a rare exception.
Full List of Tested Players
According to the report, players who have already completed their fitness tests—either fully or partially—include:
Rohit Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Shubman Gill, Jitesh Sharma, Prasidh Krishna, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhinav Manohar, Rinku Singh, Avesh Khan, Axar Patel, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy, Mukesh Kumar, Hardik Pandya, Sarfaraz Khan, Tilak Varma, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Dhruv Jurel, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
What the Tests Included
The assessments measured the players’ yo-yo scores along with their basic strength and endurance levels. Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja are yet to take their tests, while KL Rahul, Akash Deep, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jadeja, and Pant are expected to undergo evaluations in Phase 2 later this month.
BCCI’s Stand and Possible Precedent
When asked about Kohli’s case, a BCCI official said the former captain must have received due approval. However, it remains unclear whether similar permissions will be extended to other players in the future.
With India’s men’s team battling a long list of injuries, the BCCI and team management have tightened fitness protocols, making it compulsory for all players to pass these tests before selection.
Asia Cup 2025 Context
Members of India’s T20I squad will soon fly to the UAE for the Asia Cup 2025. Kohli, however, will not be part of the campaign, having retired from T20 internationals.
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