Within 48 hours of Sri Lanka series, India’s top players summoned for mandatory fitness test

India’s top centrally-contracted cricketers reported at Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on Saturday for fitness test ahead of the fresh home season, less than 48 hours after completion of a gruelling two-Test away series against Sri Lanka.

Having been at a stretch on the field for three days, it was impressive to see some of the Test team regulars marking their pre-season fitness parameters ahead of what will be a gruelling eight-month period concluding with 2027 Indian Premier League.

The likes of senior all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, keeper-batter Rishabh Pant, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal were seen sweating it out along with T20I skipper Shreyas Iyer, shortest format specialists Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson and Chennai Super Kings skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad among others.

The mandatory fitness tests include ‘Bronco Test’, 2k run, YoYo test and some of the cricket-specific drills like running between the wickets.

Bronco Test is a fitness marker where cones are placed at starting point (0m), 20m, 40m and 60m. Players have to run from 0 to 20m and back, repeating with 40m and 60m without a break for five sets.

In all, a 1200m distance is expected to be covered in five-and-a-half minutes.

The YoYo test marker for long has been 16.5 while 2k run (2000m) needs to be completed within 10 minutes.

However, the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kr Reddy will appear for these fitness drills only when they are declared fully fit.

They are undergoing rehabilitation. Fast bowlers such as Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna are exempted for the time being as they bowled extensively in back-to-back Tests in Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, Prince Yadav, who sustained a hamstring niggle during India’s Tour of UK is now fit and available for selection.

BCCI’s home season, known as ‘India Cricket’, commences every September and this year it will begin with an “away series at home” against Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series in New Delhi.

It would be followed by first-choice T20 team going to Japan for the Asian Games while another set of white ball experts will play against the West Indies in a home series at the same time.

Also, there will also be a India A series against Australia A at Puducherry from last week of September to second week of October.