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The BCCI is reportedly working on bringing back a major rule to combat fitness concerns within the team.
Under Virat Kohli’s captaincy, the yo-yo Test played a big part in the side’s physical fitness. (Image: AFP)
As the Board of Control for Cricket in India looks to bring in an overhaul to the Indian cricket team, the medical team could look to bring back an old rule that was present during Virat Kohli’s tenure as skipper of the national team.
The Men in Blue have been under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons after suffering their worst slump in form where they suffered a crushing series-whitewash on home soil against New Zealand followed by a hammering series defeat to Australia in their tour Down Under to concede the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in nearly a decade.
According to a report by the Times of India, the BCCI could look to bring back the yo-yo test to once again improve the fitness standards within the team and make it a criterion for being selected.
An unnamed source within the Indian cricket board has also suggested that since the apex body decided to not use this test in recent times, players have taken advantage of the lack of proper fitness assessment.
“The board had gone lenient on the players since they are mostly on the road. The focus had shifted to just injury prevention. This has been taken lightly by some players. It is being mooted that a certain fitness level criteria needs to be reintroduced so that complacency doesn’t creep in,” the source mentioned.
Among the other changes that are reportedly in the works is limiting the presence of family during the overseas tour. It is suggested that the team was spending more time with their families rather than with the team, which saw a lack of team bonding, particularly in their recent tour Down Under.
This also includes certain players opting to travel separately, which can be a disruptive effort for the Men in Blue.
For now, however, the focus will be on the upcoming T20Is against England, where certain players will be closely monitored and could be considered for the 50-over series that comes next. The three-match ODI series will likely serve as testing grounds for the Indian selectors to decide their squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 campaign, where the team travels to the UAE to play their games.
