Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir & Ajit Agarkar [Source- AFP]Indian cricket is in turmoil over the fitness standards of certain players; this was exposed on the recent tour of England, where the Men in Blue saw several of their star players injured. As many as four players: Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy and Jasprit Bumrah sustained injuries during the tour. Moreover, India captain Shubman Gill and Gurnoor Brar handled cramps and fitness concerns during the away tour. Even after the tour, skipper Gill broke his silence on India's degrading fitness standards after the conclusion of the England tour, noting that constantly losing players forces last-minute changes to the playing combination, making it hard to maintain stability.BCCI makes Bronco & 2K Tests mandateAccording to a report by The Times of India, the BCCI is set to bring stricter fitness tests after Team India's injury-plagued run in England. Reportedly, the Bronco Test and 2K Test will replace the Yo-Yo Test, which came into the limelight during the Virat Kohli regime.It has been said that the BCCI medical team, comprising staff with the Indian team and at the Centre of Excellence, are not in sync over players' fitness standards. Thus, the Bronco test has become mandatory, especially after Adrian Le Roux was appointed the team's strength and conditioning coach. Also Read: Jos Buttler Predicts Only Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Can Break His World RecordNotably, the South African fitness expert is serving his second stint with the Indian cricket team ever since replacing Soham Desai in June 2025.What are Bronco and 2K Tests?The Bronco Test is a high-intensity aerobic shuttle-running assessment totalling 1,200 meters, in which players complete three hurdles of 20, 40 and 60 meters five times within a given time. test is widely used by football and rugby teams to measure endurance, speed, and overall fitness.The BCCI medical has reportedly set 5.15 to 5.20 minutes as the base timing to complete the Bronco. Meanwhile, instead of the previous Yo-Yo Test, the 2K Base test will be rolled in, under which players will be required to complete a 2,000-metre run inside 9–10 minutes."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 more comfortable targets to meet to clear fitness tests,” a source close to BCCI told TOI. Injury concerns expose cracks in India's fitness managementIn recent times, various Indian cricketers have gone down with injuries. Moreover, players like Harshit Rana and Varun Chakaravarthy broke down even while rehabbing at the CoE and undergoing surgeries. Additionally, there has been a curious case around Nitish Kumar Reddy, who is still recovering from a left quadriceps injury, which he sustained during the series against Afghanistan in June this year. If reports are to be believed, there is a certain gap in communication between the team management and the CoE headed by VVS Laxman. As per the TOI report, Harshit Rana was sent back from England because of severe cramps, but not due to injury, as he has gained weight. Meanwhile, Mohammed Siraj, the leader of the bowling attack for the Sri Lanka series, was caught off guard by the new fitness standards at the CoE when he was training at the facility before the two-match series. Thus, the top brass at BCCI would need to address these loopholes and bridge the gaps, if there are any. Also Read: How Can Ireland Qualify For 2027 World Cup After Direct Qualification Miss?
