“If Someone Can Test There, Let Them”: Aakash Chopra Cuts Through The Noise On Virat Kohli’s Fitness Row

Reports said Virat Kohli completed his pre-season fitness assessment in London while most teammates did theirs at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, sparking a predictable storm online and on TV panels. The discussion quickly became about exceptions and rules rather than outcomes and standards. Former India opener Aakash Chopra stepped in with a simple point: until there’s official confirmation, it’s speculation—and even if Kohli did test in London, it shouldn’t matter as long as protocols are met.

Chopra put it plainly:

“These are just speculations and reports at this point in time… But even if he has—let us assume he did—how does it matter?”

He added that this could be a sensible precedent for a modern calendar.

“Honestly, he just set the precedent that the next time if anyone is anywhere else, they can give the fitness test from there… It may not be necessary for everyone to go to Bengaluru. If someone is available anywhere, let them do the test there.”

In other words, keep the benchmark uniform, not the room where it’s measured.

The context matters. Centrally contracted players report for standardised assessments—yo‑yo runs, strength screens, and baseline checks—before busy cycles. What’s new is the possibility of supervised testing outside Bengaluru when schedules and travel make centralisation impractical. A BCCI official has indicated any such case would be with permission, which is what a grown-up process looks like: same tests, certified oversight, proper documentation. The unit of fairness is the bar, not the postcode.

There’s also a practical upside. Remote or satellite testing reduces scheduling clashes, trims dead travel, and still locks in data the coaches and physios need. The flip side—a perception of special treatment—can be managed by publishing clear criteria: who can test off-site, what facilities qualify, which officials must supervise, and how results are logged. Transparent rules turn one‑off allowances into process, not privilege.

As the noise fades, two things are true. One, there’s still no official confirmation that Kohli tested in London. Two, if he did and it followed the book, it’s a non-story with a useful lesson: elite systems adapt without lowering standards. Chopra called it a “new normal,” and that sounds about right—same bar, smarter logistics.