Rules From Kohli's Captaincy Back? BCCI Planning Big U-Turn Amid Slump

Team India's struggles on the international circuit since the arrival of head coach Gautam Gambhir haven't gone down well with the board. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly keen to bring back the old rules over fitness tests that were applicable during Virat Kohli's captaincy days. The board had done away with the mandatory yo-yo fitness Test considering the workload and frequency of travel for the players. But, a report has claimed that the rule could be brought back.

According to the Times of India, the BCCI medical team has been asked to go back to fitness criteria for selection instead of just focusing on injury prevention because of the gruelling schedule. Yo-yo test mandate was removed by the previous management to reduce the number of injuries but a U-turn could be on the cards now.

"The board had gone lenient on the players since they are mostly on the road. The focus had shifted to just injury prevention. This has been taken lightly by some players. It is being mooted that a certain fitness level criteria needs to be reintroduced so that complacency doesn't creep in," the paper quoted a source as saying.

The BCCI is reportedly looking to make a few more changes to the way the team functions, with the stay of family members and wives of players also set to be curbed.

Officials believe having families present, especially during overseas assignments, can distract players and impact their performance. Additionally, the BCCI has introduced a rule requiring all players to travel with the team at all times.

This change addresses concerns over some players opting to travel separately in recent years, which the board views as disruptive to team cohesion and discipline.