Sunil Chhetri Confirms Virat Kohli's Fitness Test in London?

The reports claimed that BCCI allowed Kohli received a special permission from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to take his fitness test in London, a first in its history, while other players, including ODI skipper Rohit Sharma, red ball captain Shubman Gill and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah took the test at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru few days back.

Few reports indicated that the talisman batter passed the Yo-Yo test with a score of 18.7.

However, the chatter around the test's location draw criticism from a section of people with many calling out the double standards of the board.

Talking on the 'Desi Premier League' podcast, Chhetri, a good friend to Virat, said, "A few days back, he was sending me his scores of one of the tests he was doing in London. It is so addictive, and it is so good to know these kinds of people. On your bad days when you feel a bit lethargic, you see them and think, let’s go. When you are at the top, everyone wants to be a Virat Kohli or Ronaldo, and for these two to keep their place is unbelievable."

However, the 41-year-old footballer did not clearly indicate if the results are from the BCCI fitness test or other drills.

On the other hand, former team India cricketer and analyst Akash Chopra dismissed the reports as rumors. "These are just speculations and reports at this point in time. There is no confirmation or clarification that Virat Kohli gave his fitness test in London and other gave it in Bengaluru," was quoted saying by popular media outlets.

Virat Kohli exited the T20I format last year after India's triumph in short game World Cup and hung his boots from the traditional format in May this year. He continues to don the Indian hat in ODIs.

The 36-year-old player was last seen in action on June 3 during the IPL final, where his side -- Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinched the trophy ending a long wait.