While Virat Kohli is widely regarded as one of the fittest cricketers around the world, the latest Test scores ahead of Asia Cup 2023 reveal that he may not be the fittest cricketer in the current Indian team. Kohli at 34 is still one of the best in the Indian side but when it comes to bragging the best Yo-yo Test score, King Kohli has been overtaken by 23-year-old Shubman Gill. While Kohli made his Test score public sharing an Instagram story of it mentioning he got 17.2, a recent PTI report suggests that Gill has in fact gone past that easily, recording an impressive 18.7.
The Asia Cup bound India team has hit the ground running with the closed-door camp in Alur, where the squad members are undergoing routine fitness tests ahead of the continental event beginning August 31.
The various fitness and medical tests are being conducted along with the mandatory Yo-Yo test which young opener Shubman Gill has topped. All the cricketers who have so far appeared for the Yo-Yo test have passed the cut-off level. Only five cricketers, namely, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (reserve member for Asia Cup) and KL Rahul have not taken the Test.
"The Yo-Yo test being an aerobic endurance fitness test, the results could vary from when you last played and how much of workload you have gone through in the past week.
"Gill as of now has the highest score of 18.7. Most of the players have scored between 16.5 and 18," a BCCI source privy to developments told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
"If the players have a gap between two tournaments, the National Cricket Academy's sports science team along with sports staff of India team does conduct all the mandatory tests," the source said.
The Yo yo Test cut off mark to be eligible to play for national team is 16.5.
(With Inputs From PTI)