BCCI to introduce uniform fitness tests for Indian cricketers amid concerns over declining standards: Report

The BCCI is reportedly aiming to tweak the fitness tests amid an “overall dip” in fitness standards of a few players. According to a report in the Times of India, the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) is developing a standardised baseline fitness parameter for all cricketers, replacing customised testing.

Ever since Adrian Le Roux was appointed as strength and conditioning coach in June 2025, the Bronco test was adopted as the main fitness assessment, replacing the Yo-Yo test as the primary way to evaluate fitness.

According to the report, the BCCI medical team has now set a baseline of 5.15-5.20 minutes to complete the prescribed fitness drills for a player to be deemed fit. It has also fixed a benchmark of 9-10 minutes for the 2-kilometre running test.

“The Indian players are not used to the Bronco test. Over the last year, the CoE had set different base parameters for players.

“It has now emerged that certain senior players were given much comfortable targets to meet to clear fitness tests. The CoE staff had also cleared players like Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy to make sure it was delivering players according to team management's needs,” the Times of India quoted a BCCI source as saying.

Concerns over declining fitness standards

According to the source, Team India physio Kamlesh Jain faced questions from both the BCCI and the team management over the perceived drop in the fitness levels of certain players.

The management was also unhappy with the frequency of cramping incidents during the tour of England.

“Kamlesh has been told that he shouldn't worry about any player's stature and flag anything that he doesn't find satisfactory. It has been observed that the mobility of some players on the field has been questionable. Senior batters are struggling to push their running between the wickets as they bat longer. The number of slow fielders has increased,” the source added.

The report also revealed that pacer Harshit Rana had only suffered cramps during the third T20I against England, and it wasn't because of any injury. The source added that Harshit was also overweight.

“The Indian team management flagged that he was overweight by four kgs. The CoE should have been much more vigilant. He has now been told by CoE staff that his weight can't exceed 96 kg. He is now 94 kgs and is expected to be cleared next week. But he was 97 kgs when he was cleared to be picked for the Indian team for the UK tour,” the source explained.

India, which lost 0-2 to Ireland in a two-match T20I series, also went on to lose the T20I series and the ODI series against England.

Team India will next be in action on 15 August, when they will take on Sri Lanka in a two-match Test series in Sri Lanka. Both tests will be part of the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.