Aug 26 – The Asia Cup is approaching, and the Indian Cricket Team is hard at work at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. The participating players went through gruelling physical drills, including the iconic Yo-Yo test. Players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and others aced the Yo-Yo test, indicating that their fitness is at its pinnacle. However, KL Rahul, whose fitness is a huge issue, did not participate in the Test.
The Indian players are visiting the NCA for a six-day strength and conditioning programme. The BCCI’s required fitness metric is 16.5. Virat Kohli received a perfect score of 17.2 in the test.
Apart from Kohli, it is learnt that skipper Rohit Sharma and ODI vice-captain Hardik Pandya, among others, took part in the drills at the KSCA-Alur fields here and passed the tests. “The tests were successful, and the reports will be sent to the BCCI soon,” a person with knowledge of the situation told PTI.
On Friday, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson, and Tilak Varma are expected to arrive at the Alur camp. The four players were part of the India squad that competed in a three-match Twenty20 International series in Ireland. Given that they are returning to the country today, these four players have had a lengthy rest period due to their fixtures and travel.
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With the exception of the Yo-Yo exam, today’s drills were mostly indoors, but there will be more outdoor activities starting Friday. Those returning from Ireland, however, may not be subjected to the Yo-Yo exam because they will be put through the skill-set part of the camp.
Several indicators, including lipid profile, blood sugar (fasting and PP), uric acid, calcium, Vitamin B12 and D, creatinine, testosterone and Dexa tests, will be assessed during the camp. The outdoor events will also involve match simulation sessions overseen by batting coach Vikram Rathour and head coach Rahul Dravid, in addition to conditioning exercises.
The team’s management will, however, keep a close eye on KL Rahul’s growth. Rahul is said to have participated in the fitness drills on this day, although he was not included in the Yo-Yo test.
Rahul Dravid has been appointed conditionally to India’s Asia Cup team after chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated that the wicketkeeper batter is suffering from a “niggle” unrelated to his prior ailment.
As a replacement for Rahul, Sanju Samson was picked as a travelling reserve in the Asia Cup squad. While the team management and NCA staff are pleased with Rahul’s batting condition, as demonstrated by the sessions in the match simulation process last week, they are still unsure about his readiness to handle wicketkeeping duties.
The top brass will be watching how the 31-year-old performs in this area in the coming days. However, as things now stand, Rahul may miss the first round of the Asia Cup, which will be held in Sri Lanka.
The NCA gave middle-order hitter Shreyas Iyer the all-clear, but he will be constantly monitored because the Mumbaikar is also returning from an injury. The conditioning camp is set to end on August 29, with the Indian team departing for Colombo the following day.
