BCCI gives nod, Virat Kohli clears fitness test in London: Reports
In what appears to be a first in Indian cricket, the BCCI conducted a fitness test outside the country, making an exception for Virat Kohli. After a month-long break since India wrapped up the five-match Test series in England, the Men in Blue now look forward to a packed cricket schedule. The next phase kicks off with the Asia Cup 2025, slated to get underway in the UAE from September 9. Before the India squad takes part in the ACC event, the players arrived at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru for their respective evaluations.
Meanwhile, the fitness test was not lined up solely for the Asia Cup squad, as the likes of Rohit Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, and Mohammed Shami also took part. All the while, speculation was rife about whether Virat Kohli would be called to appear for the test with the rest of the Indian players. However, as it turns out, the former captain has already completed the assessment without returning to India.
BCCI makes an exception for Virat Kohli as the veteran completes his fitness test in London
The latest update on Virat Kohli suggests that the veteran has completed his fitness test in London. It is well known that Kohli has moved to the English city with his family. However, he travels back to India whenever required for a series. This time, Kohli returned to London after completing his title-winning campaign with RCB in IPL 2025. As per precedent, the senior player was expected to pay a visit to complete his fitness test.
The likes of Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, and other Indian players arrived at the CoE in Bengaluru to undergo their fitness tests. When initial reports surfaced about the impending assessments in the Indian camp, uncertainty remained over the availability of Virat Kohli. Now, the latest update confirms that the senior player has already completed his evaluation. Kohli, currently in England with his family, was reportedly permitted to undergo his assessment under official supervision in London.
The move, while unusual, has drawn attention since uniform procedures are typically applied to every player. Kohli remains available for ODIs solely after announcing his Test retirement earlier this year. The former skipper, along with Rohit Sharma, now looks at the Australia Tour as his next stint in the India cricket schedule. The Australia Tour will kick off in October with a three-match ODI series, which will mark Kohli and Rohit's return to the Indian blues for the first time since the ICC Champions Trophy.
Meanwhile, the report further stated that Kohli's fitness results from London were included in the assessments submitted to the BCCI by its physiotherapists and strength and conditioning team. Moreover, when asked about the decision, a senior board official declined to comment directly on the exception but noted that Kohli “would have taken prior approval” to conduct the test abroad.
The first phase of the evaluation in Bengaluru largely measured baseline strength and recovery markers. Among those who completed evaluations were Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, and Sanju Samson, along with emerging players like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, and Rinku Singh.
Most cleared the expected benchmarks, though a few were only partially tested due to conditioning or workload considerations. A follow-up round of assessments will take place in September for players still in rehabilitation or nearing a return to action. KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, and Nitish Reddy are on the list for the next phase. With injuries and player workload under increasing scrutiny, the BCCI has doubled down on fitness protocols in recent years. Mandatory fitness clearance ahead of marquee series and tournaments is now standard practice, designed to avoid last-minute withdrawals and maintain peak readiness.
While the rest of the squad turned up in Bengaluru, the exception made for Kohli has raised some eyebrows. The newly released information has triggered a quiet discussion about whether similar concessions might be extended to other players in the future, particularly those recovering overseas or tied up with personal commitments outside India. Amid the debate, which still seems to be in its early stages of brewing into a bigger controversy, it is speculated that Kohli's case will be treated as an exception. However, the move still begs the question of whether other players will be treated similarly if and when the situation arises.
