Players set to participate in the Asia Cup and who were not part of the West Indies T20Is or the Ireland series primarily participated in fitness drills during the initial day of the six-day camp
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya successfully underwent the yo-yo fitness assessment at KSCA-Alur grounds in Bengaluru on Thursday. This also marked the commencement of India’s preparatory fitness and training camp leading up to the Asia Cup 2023. Kohli had openly shared his yo-yo test result (17.2) via an Instagram post, an action that drew the disapproval of high-ranking BCCI officials. This prompted them to issue an informal directive to the Indian cricketers, advising them against disclosing such confidential data.
Subsequent information reveals that skipper Rohit and deputy Hardik also succeded in the yo-yo test without encountering any obstacles. Notably, the qualifying score for Indian cricketers in the yo-yo test stands at 16.5.
Players set to participate in the Asia Cup and who were not part of the West Indies T20Is or the Ireland series primarily participated in fitness drills during the initial day of the six-day camp. The Indian team’s departure to Sri Lanka is scheduled for August 30.
KL Rahul, who is tending to a minor injury as per Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar, engaged in the fitness regimen but reportedly abstained from the yo-yo test. While the team management and NCA staff are content with Rahul’s batting fitness as indicated by his performance in match simulation sessions the previous week, there remains a need for greater clarity regarding his preparedness for wicketkeeping duties.
In the approaching days, the Indian think-tank will closely monitor Rahul’s progress in this aspect. As it stands, there is a possibility that Rahul might miss the initial phase of the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.
Regarding middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer, the NCA authorities have granted an all-clear, yet they will closely observe his situation given his return from injury.
Apart from Rahul, the cricketers joining the squad from Ireland are unlikely to partake in the yo-yo test. Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson, Prasidh Krishna, and Tilak Varma are scheduled to undergo skill-set assessments once they join on Friday.
The medical well-being of all cricketers will undergo evaluation alongside their fitness assessments. The six-day camp will involve a comprehensive check of various parameters such as lipid profile, blood sugar levels, uric acid levels, calcium levels, Vitamin B12 and D levels, creatinine levels, testosterone levels, and Dexa tests.
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Following the initial fitness and medical evaluations, the cricketers are anticipated to engage in match simulations during the final two days of the training camp under the supervision of head coach Rahul Dravid and batting coach Vikram Rathour.
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