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The move comes as the Indian cricket team prepares for a demanding home season that will eventually run into the 2027 Indian Premier League.

Several of India’s biggest names were seen undergoing fitness assessments in Bengaluru, including Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson and Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad.

The fitness programme is part of the BCCI’s preparations for a long international and domestic cricket calendar. According to the report, India’s schedule will remain packed for nearly eight months, culminating with the 2027 IPL.

Why BCCI has called players to Bengaluru

The fitness tests have been organised as part of the pre-season assessment for India’s centrally contracted players.

The timing is significant because the Indian Test team had only recently completed a physically demanding two-Test series in Sri Lanka. The second Test in Colombo ended in a draw on August 28, while India had won the opening Test in Galle by 165 runs.

Rather than allowing the players to immediately move into the next phase of the season without assessment, the BCCI has brought several of them to its Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

The tests are designed to establish fitness parameters before players begin another extended period of international cricket.

The assessment also allows the team management and medical staff to monitor players who have recently returned from injuries or rehabilitation programmes.

Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant among those tested

Several established players were present for the fitness drills.

Senior all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal were among the Test regulars seen undergoing the exercises.

T20I captain Shreyas Iyer was also present, along with short-format specialists Rinku Singh and Sanju Samson.

Ruturaj Gaikwad, who captains Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, was another prominent name at the Centre of Excellence.

The presence of players from different formats highlights the BCCI’s intention to establish fitness benchmarks across the national pool rather than limiting the exercise to the Test squad.

What fitness tests will players undergo?

The mandatory programme includes several demanding physical assessments.

Players are required to undergo the Bronco Test, 2 km run and YoYo test, along with cricket-specific exercises such as running between the wickets.

The combination of tests is designed to assess different aspects of a cricketer’s physical conditioning, including endurance, speed, recovery and the ability to perform repeated high-intensity movements.

The cricket-specific drills are particularly relevant because international matches require players to repeatedly sprint, change direction and recover quickly.

The BCCI’s fitness assessment therefore goes beyond simply measuring running speed.

Bronco Test explained

The Bronco Test is one of the key assessments included in the programme.

The drill uses cones positioned at distances of 0 metres, 20 metres, 40 metres and 60 metres. Players run from the starting point to the different markers and return without a break.

The exercise is repeated for five sets.

In total, players are expected to cover 1,200 metres, with the benchmark mentioned in the report being approximately five and a half minutes.

The test places significant demands on acceleration, deceleration and recovery because players repeatedly change direction.

YoYo test and 2 km run

The YoYo test has also been part of India’s fitness monitoring system for several years.

The benchmark mentioned in the report is 16.5.

The 2 km run is another important component, with players required to complete the 2,000-metre distance within 10 minutes.

These assessments give the support staff measurable indicators of a player’s cardiovascular fitness and endurance.

For professional cricketers playing multiple formats, maintaining these standards can be particularly important during long seasons.

Bumrah, Hardik and Nitish await full fitness

Not every centrally contracted player is expected to undergo the tests immediately.

India’s premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, all-rounder Hardik Pandya and young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy are currently undergoing rehabilitation.

They will take the fitness drills once they are declared fully fit.

The decision reflects the BCCI’s cautious approach towards players returning from injury.

Rather than immediately subjecting recovering players to demanding fitness drills, the medical and support teams will first determine when they are ready to resume full-intensity training.

Siraj and Prasidh get temporary exemption

Fast bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna have also been exempted from the fitness tests for the time being.

The reason is linked to their workload during the Sri Lanka series.

Both bowlers featured extensively in back-to-back Tests, and the BCCI has therefore given them some time before requiring them to complete the fitness assessment.

Workload management has become increasingly important in international cricket, particularly for fast bowlers who face significant physical demands during long Test matches.

The decision to temporarily exempt Siraj and Prasidh suggests that the board is considering recent match workload alongside standard fitness requirements.

Prince Yadav declared fit

There was also positive news regarding Prince Yadav.

The player, who suffered a hamstring niggle during India’s tour of the United Kingdom, has now recovered and is available for selection, according to the report.

His return provides another option for the selectors as India enters a busy period featuring multiple white-ball assignments.

With the national team expected to rotate players across formats, fitness and availability will be crucial factors in selection.

India’s busy home season begins in September

The fitness assessment comes just before the beginning of India’s new home season.

The BCCI’s annual home programme, referred to as “India Cricket”, begins in September.

This year’s schedule starts with what the report describes as an “away series at home” against Afghanistan.

India will play Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series in New Delhi, with the matches scheduled for September 13, 15 and 17.

The series will provide India’s white-ball players with an immediate opportunity to return to international action following the Sri Lanka tour.

Asian Games add to India’s workload

The Afghanistan series is only the beginning of a crowded calendar.

The first-choice T20I team is expected to travel to Japan for the Asian Games.

At the same time, another group of white-ball specialists will feature in India’s home series against the West Indies.

The split between different groups of players reflects the sheer volume of cricket scheduled for India.

It also means that the selectors and team management will have to carefully manage workloads and ensure that players remain fit across different competitions.

India A set for Australia A series

The schedule also includes an India A series against Australia A.

The matches are expected to be played in Puducherry from the last week of September through the second week of October.

India A fixtures provide an important platform for players outside the established international squads.

They also allow selectors to monitor emerging talent and potential future India players in competitive conditions.

The series could therefore play a role in India’s wider player-development programme.

Eight-month cricket period ahead

The BCCI’s decision to conduct fitness tests immediately after the Sri Lanka tour is closely linked to the length of the upcoming season.

The current schedule is expected to keep India’s leading players involved in various competitions for roughly eight months, eventually leading into the 2027 IPL.

Such a long period creates additional challenges for player management.

Cricketers could be required to move between Tests, T20Is, domestic competitions, international tournaments and the IPL.

Maintaining fitness throughout such a schedule will require careful planning by the BCCI, national selectors, coaches and medical teams.

Fitness becomes central to selection

The growing number of matches across formats has made fitness an increasingly important part of India’s selection process.

Players must now demonstrate that they can withstand long seasons while recovering adequately between matches.

For fast bowlers, workload management is particularly important because repeated high-intensity spells can increase physical stress.

For batters and wicketkeepers, meanwhile, endurance and recovery remain essential during multi-format schedules.

The Bengaluru assessments therefore provide the BCCI with a snapshot of the players’ physical condition before the next phase of the season begins.

A busy period for India’s stars

The presence of several major players at the Centre of Excellence underlines the importance of the fitness programme.

Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal are established Test players, while Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh and Sanju Samson remain important names in India’s white-ball plans.

Ruturaj Gaikwad’s presence also highlights the connection between international and domestic franchise cricket.

As India prepares for multiple competitions, the BCCI will need to balance the demands of national commitments with player availability for domestic and franchise cricket.

Conclusion

The BCCI has brought several of India’s leading centrally contracted cricketers to Bengaluru for mandatory fitness testing immediately after the Sri Lanka Test series.

Players including Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad were among those seen undergoing assessments at the Centre of Excellence.

The tests include the Bronco Test, 2 km run, YoYo test and cricket-specific running drills. The Bronco Test requires players to cover 1,200 metres in repeated shuttle runs, while the 2 km run has a 10-minute benchmark.

Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy will undergo the drills after being declared fully fit following rehabilitation, while Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna have been temporarily exempted after heavy workloads during the Sri Lanka Tests. Prince Yadav, meanwhile, has recovered from his hamstring niggle and is available for selection.

The fitness programme comes ahead of a packed eight-month period that includes the Afghanistan T20I series, Asian Games, West Indies fixtures, India A’s series against Australia A and eventually the 2027 IPL.

With India’s cricket calendar becoming increasingly demanding, maintaining player fitness and managing workloads will be crucial to keeping the country’s biggest stars available throughout the season.