India’s ODI and Test captains, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, have checked into the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru for their mandatory pre-season fitness assessments ahead of a busy international calendar. Joining them were Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jitesh Sharma, and Shardul Thakur.
Rohit Sharma begins fitness assessment
Rohit, who now plays only the ODI format, has reported for his fitness test alongside Siraj, with Gill also present. Rohit is reportedly keen on participating in the India A vs Australia A ODIs (Sept 30, Oct 3, Oct 5 in Kanpur) as a tune-up for the upcoming Australia series.
Siraj and Sundar’s uncertain plans
While Siraj is not part of India’s Asia Cup squad, he could be a last-minute addition to South Zone’s Duleep Trophy team. Washington Sundar finds himself in a similar situation. Both checked in for assessments despite not being officially named in squads so far.
Virat Kohli missing
The most notable absentee at the CoE is Virat Kohli. Unlike Rohit, who has shown interest in additional preparation matches, Kohli has been training privately in London and hasn’t checked in at the BCCI facility. With no signs of him joining the pre-season camp, his preparation plans remain separate from the rest of the contracted players.
Team India will depart for Dubai on September 4 for the Asia Cup, with the final squad shaping up after these fitness tests.
