Ranjit Bajaj, the director of the Minerva Academy and owner of Delhi FC, has stirred a lively discussion in Indian sport by claiming that the Yo‑Yo test scores of his U‑13 trainees exceed those of Virat Kohli, the nation’s cricket icon.
Fitness Across Borders
Kohli’s own Yo‑Yo test, conducted under the Board of Control for Cricket in India in London ahead of India’s 2025 tour of Australia, recorded a score of 21.6, the highest ever posted by an Indian cricketer. The test, which measures repeated high‑intensity aerobic effort, is a staple in many team‑sport fitness programmes.
Alastair Cook, the former England captain, currently tops the global Yo‑Yo rankings with a score of 22.3, a figure that outstrips even Kohli’s mark. Other international cricketers, including Pakistan’s Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan and Bangladesh’s Al‑Amin Hossain, have posted scores around 22.1, while England’s Jonny Bairstow sits at 21.8, just shy of Cook’s benchmark.
Bajaj, speaking on the podcast “Figuring Out” hosted by Raj Shamani, argued that football places different demands on agility and stamina, and he extended an invitation to Kohli to undergo the test himself. He also hinted that his U‑15 cohort would outrun Kohli by a substantial margin, a claim that has fueled both admiration and skepticism.
The conversation touches on a broader theme: the rising emphasis on scientific fitness assessment across Indian sports. While cricket has long been associated with technique over athleticism, the success of teams that integrate rigorous endurance work has prompted officials to revisit grassroots development strategies.
As the debate continues, the upcoming tour of Australia will likely bring renewed focus on how these fitness metrics translate to on‑field performance. Whether Bajaj’s assertion will stand the test of competitive play remains to be seen, but the dialogue underscores a shifting paradigm in how Indian athletes approach preparation.