After Virat Kohli made his 76th International and 29th Test ton in the IND vs WI 2nd second Test in Trinidad in his 500th international match, several former cricketers have applauded the modern great’s fitness. However, while lauding Kohli’s fitness, former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt made an interesting remark. The opener raised concern over fitness standards in Indian cricket with the Asia Cup 2023 in mind.
“Virat Kohli is not only fit, he is the fittest. When you talk about top three fittest persons in cricket he will be there. In fact, he might be right there at the top when it comes to fitness,” Butt said on his YouTube channel.
Butt further added, “The full Indian team is not as fit as Virat. Some of the players are visibly not as fit. Ravindra Jadeja is fit, even MS Dhoni is fit. though some other players are not that fit.”
While some may see Butt’s comments as overtly critical or making claims for his view, the former cricketer raises some interesting points.
The recent medical team report by the BCCI on injured players who are currently at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) undergoing rehab corroborates what Butt said.
Also Read: Caught in BCCI vs PCB crossfire, BCB unhappy over Asia Cup 2023 schedule
While Rishabh Pant is ruled out for the Asia Cup 2023. Other stars like Shreyas Iyer, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, and KL Rahul remain hopeful for the multi-team event.
Iyer has been out of action since picking up a back injury in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Bumrah has been out of action since the T20 World Cup in 2022 and remains doubtful for the Asia Cup. LSG skipper KL Rahul has recovered well following his leg injury in IPL 2023 and can return to his No. 5 spot. Meanwhile, Krishna last played for India in August 2022 owing to a stress fracture.
Two other probables, Washington Sundar and Deepak Chahar, have been injury-prone as well. Sundar has suffered shoulder, hand, finger, and hamstring injuries in the last year. Chahar has been well known for his injury woes. The seamer has suffered multiple injuries and missed the IPL 2022 and T20 World Cup 2022 due to injuries. Despite being cleared with a full bill of health, the pace bowler seems to get injured upon his return time and time again, making him an unbankable player.
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