Asia Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma And Hardik Pandya Clear ‘Yo Yo’ Test After Virat Kohli, Focus On KL Rahul Fitness Now
Indian cricketers undertook challenging fitness drills on Thursday ahead of the Asia Cup 2023, including the 'Yo-Yo' test, which was aced by the players in attendance in Bengaluru.
The activity is part of a six-day conditioning and skill-set upgrading programme, and Virat Kohli got a perfect 17.2 in the exam.
The fitness parameter mandated by the BCCI is 16.5. Apart from Kohli, it is understood that skipper Rohit Sharma and ODI vice-captain Hardik Pandya participated in the drills at the KSCA-Alur grounds in Bengaluru and passed the tests.
"The tests were successful, and the reports will be sent to the BCCI soon," a source close to the situation told PTI.
Four players are expected to attend the camp on Friday: Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson, and Tilak Varma. After a three-match T20I series against Ireland at Malahide, the quartet will fly from Dublin to Bengaluru.
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.
According to the PTI, numerous indicators of the players will be evaluated throughout the camp, including lipid profile, blood sugar (fasting and PP), uric acid, calcium, Vitamin B12 and D, creatinine, testosterone, and Dexa tests, among others.
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 2023 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.
On September 2, Team India will kick off their Asia Cup 2023 campaign against Pakistan in Kandy.