From the past one year, fitness has become one of the most important barometers for the Indian players to retain their place in the national team. In fact, clearing the yo-yo test has become a necessity and those who fail it are dropped from the team, no matter the number of runs a player has scored. The trend started with Indian skipper Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri asking for the test to be made compulsory.
While Kohli is himself one of the fittest players in the team, surprisingly, he is not the fittest member of all. In an interview with Cricbuzz, right-handed batsman Karun Nair revealed that as per Shanker Basu, team India’s trainer, he is the fittest member in the team.
“I've been spending a lot of time with (Shanker) Basu Sir, our trainer, and Sanjay Bangar sir as well, our batting coach. Obviously a lot of throwdowns and a lot of net sessions. But mainly I have been spending time with Basu Sir. According to him, I am the fittest person in the team right now. I am very proud of that and I just want to keep improving on that,” he was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
Karun spent his time on the bench during the tour of England as he wasn’t given an opportunity in the Test series. The Karnataka-batsman had made his Test comeback for the historic tie against Afghanistan in the month of June and retained his place for England Tests.
He was expected to be included in the side for the fifth Test after India had lost the series but skipper Virat Kohli delivered a surprise as Hanuma Vihari was preferred over him. As it was expected, Nair was dropped from the team for the two-match Test series against West Indies where Vihari retained his place, courtesy his half-century and three wickets in the final Test against England.