The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly asked Indian men’s team physiotherapist Kamlesh Jain to prioritise player fitness over reputation, amid growing concerns over the rising number of injuries affecting the national side. According to a report in The Times of India, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia recently reviewed the team’s injury management process and instructed Jain to raise concerns whenever a player fails to meet the required fitness standards, regardless of their stature within the squad.
The report claims that inconsistencies in fitness assessments have become a major point of discussion within the BCCI. It suggests that different fitness benchmarks were being applied to different players, with certain senior cricketers allegedly receiving more relaxed targets to help them clear mandatory fitness tests.
India’s fitness evaluation system has also undergone a significant change with the arrival of strength and conditioning coach Adrian Le Roux. The Bronco Test has now replaced the traditional Yo-Yo Test as the primary measure of endurance and match fitness. However, the transition has reportedly caught several players off guard.
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“The Indian players are not used to the Bronco Test,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying. “Over the past year, the Centre of Excellence had set different base parameters for players, and it has now emerged that some senior players were given more comfortable targets to meet.”
BCCI cracks down on player fitness! Baseline parameters set for Bronco & 2K tests 🇮🇳🏃♂️💨
• Standards tightened! Following multiple injury breakdowns and a dip in fielding mobility during the UK tour, the BCCI is standardizing fitness targets across all contract tiers! 📋🏋️♂️
— Cricket Hub (@Anurag9793) August 6, 2026
The report further claimed that players such as Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy were cleared by the Centre of Excellence (CoE) despite ongoing fitness concerns, reportedly to meet the requirements of the team management.
Another issue highlighted is the declining athleticism of certain players. Concerns have reportedly been raised over fielding mobility, while some experienced batters have struggled to maintain intensity between the wickets during long innings.
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With India continuing to battle multiple injuries ahead of crucial international assignments, the BCCI is now believed to be pushing for a more transparent and uniform fitness policy. Reports also suggest that several Test specialists are still adapting to the new training methods introduced at the CoE, making the coming months crucial for India’s player management and workload strategy.
