The Indian cricket team will return to action as they kickstart their Asia Cup 2025 campaign on Wednesday, September 10, where they will take on UAE at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.
While the Men in Blue will be seen taking the field under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav - India’s T20I captain, Shubman Gill has been appointed as his deputy following the departure of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja from the format.
While the Indian team is coming after completing their routine fitness tests which was held across August 2025, it also included a newer variation in Bronco test. Being brought originally in rugby, the Bronco test is known to measure aerobic endurance apart from pushing the limits of cardiovascular work from the players, especially the fast bowlers, who have to put a lot of load on their body to get the job done.
One standard for everybody in the squad is well-nigh impossible: Sunil Gavaskar on Bronco test
The Bronco Test involves high-intensity aerobic running drills, to bolster the speed, stamina, and cardio of the players with the shuttle runs of 20, 40, and 60 meters. Days after the introduction, former India cricketer and one of the legends of the game, Sunil Gavaskar has opened up on the same while questioning its inclusion. “While it is fine to have these tests to get a general idea of where a player needs to strengthen their body, having them decide selection to the national team is a tad too much. Every person’s body is different, so having one standard for everybody in the squad is well-nigh impossible,” Gavaskar wrote his in column on Sportstar.
The former India cricketer also highlighted the differing fitness requirements needed across player roles and formats, writing, “For example, a wicketkeeper, who is constantly on the move the whole day, requires a different fitness level that the others. The fast bowlers will be different from spinners, though spinners will invariably bowl as many, if not more, overs in the day than them.”
He also elaborated, “the batters will need a different kind of fitness. As you can see, there is no such thing as ‘one-size-fits all’ approach. As long as this is taken into account and the strict parameters of the new test are not followed rigidly, then it is fine.”
