IPL 2019: The Yo-Yo Test not a parameter for the players of Chennai Super Kings

The Yo-Yo test was made relevant in the year 2016 under the leadership of India skipper Virat Kohli when Anil Kumble was the coach. It’s still a major parameter for a player’s fitness under coach Ravi Shastri, but the MS Dhoni-captained Chennai Super Kings (CSK) side will not be taking the fitness test as they are all in readiness for the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League that starts on March 23. The defending champions will take on Virat Kohli’s RCB in Chennai in the series opener.

The yo-yo test was conceived by the Danish player and Juventus assistant coach Jens Bangsbo for footballers. It involves a player commuting between two cones that are set 20 meters apart on the flat ground. The player has to start on the first beep and needs to get to the cone at the other end before the second beep goes. He then turns back and returns to the starting cone before the third beep. That is one ‘shuttle’

The test is used to evaluate an individual’s aerobic endurance fitness. There are several speed levels to the yo-yo test, starting from speed level 5. Level 23 is the highest speed level in a yo-yo test, but no one has come close to getting there yet. Each shuttle covers a distance of 40 metres, and the accumulated distance is an aggregate of distance covered at every speed level.

While players like Virat Kohli and Manish Pandey have aced the yo-yo test, players like Suresh Raina have struggled to pass the challenge. Other players who have failed the tests are Ambati Rayudu and Yuvraj Singh. The test has, therefore, been criticized by many, as the test was conceptualized for the game of soccer and not cricket. In fact, the rigors involved in the test are not an absolute requirement in cricket.

CSK trainer prefers the Sprint Repeat test over the yo-yo test

Former India trainer Ramji Srinivasan, who is associated with the CSK franchise spoke about captain Dhoni’s workout regime. He said, “MS is in a different zone altogether. He likes to keep things very simple. He doesn’t do clean-and-jerk and other forms of powerlifting. He likes to do his strength work and boxing work. Basically, he is a smart trainer and works on a set of exercises that is simple and helps sharpen his skills.”

“I have picked the 2km or 2.4km run to check the fitness standards of the players as also the Sprint Repeat test. Just because the national team does the Yo-Yo test doesn’t mean I need to follow the process,” he spoke about his preferred fitness parameter.

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