The
Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season is just a little less than a fortnight
away from the start, with defending champions Chennai Super Kings playing last
season’s runners-up Kolkata Knight Riders on March 26. As all the 10 teams
prepare for the highly competitive T20 league, the unfit or injured players
need to undergo fitness tests at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in
Bengaluru. Now ahead of the new season, Delhi Capitals suffered a huge setback
as their star batter Prithvi Shaw has failed the Yo-Yo Test, the highest
fitness standard set by the BCCI for its players. The 22-year-old opener was at the
NCA undergoing a fitness drill but the results turned out to be unsatisfactory.

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According
to a report by news agency PTI, Shaw scored less than 15 in the fitness test, while the
standard score to clear it was 16.5 for men.

“These
are just fitness updates. Obviously, it doesn’t stop Prithvi from playing for
Delhi Capitals in IPL. It’s just a fitness parameter and not the be all and end
all,” a source was quoted as saying in the report.

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“Look,
he has played three Ranji matches back-to-back. Once you play three first-class
games on the bounce, the fatigue can also affect your Yo-Yo score,” he
added.

Fitness
has been a key problem for Shaw. Since he was dropped from the national side,
he was not considered with Mayank Agarwal getting priority over him.

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Meanwhile,
much to the relief of Gujarat Titans and BCCI selectors, all-rounder Hardik
Pandya has cleared the fitness test. The report mentioned that the all-rounder
also rolled his arm to prove his bowling fitness. According to the PTI report,
Pandya was not asked to bowl, but he “insisted” on it to show that he
is on track to make a comeback into the Indian team.

Hardik
Pandya is appointed the captain of Gujarat Titans for the IPL 2022. 

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“He
didn’t need to bowl at NCA but he has bowled for considerable time and in the
range of 135 kmph. On the second day, he crossed the Yo-Yo test with flying
colours with a 17-plus score which is much above the cut-off level,” the
source was quoted as saying in the same report.