Gill, Rohit, Bumrah Headline Star-Studded Arrival at BCCI's Fitness Assessment Camp

BENGALURU: The newly operational BCCI Centre of Excellence here transformed into a hub for Indian men's cricket on Saturday. The domestic season opener, Duleep Trophy quarterfinal matches, which began on Thursday, have attracted several international players.Some, like Akashdeep Singh, Sai Sudharsan, and Mayank Yadav have been undergoing rehabilitation at the facility. They were joined by prominent Indian cricketers, most of whom are preparing for the Asia Cup, as they undergo pre-season fitness tests under strength and conditioning coach Adrian le Roux, who joined the team ahead of the England series.The spotlight on Saturday was on India's ODI captain, Rohit Sharma. The 38-year-old, who currently plays only the One-Day format, is expected to participate in India's three-match away series against Australia.Discussions are ongoing about the experienced campaigner, who hasn't played since the Mumbai Indians' IPL game against Punjab Kings on June 1, potentially appearing for India 'A' against Australia 'A' in Kanpur from September 30 to October 5.After completing his pre-season fitness tests, Rohit is expected to practice at the facility for a few days before returning to Mumbai. His last ODI appearance was in the title-winning Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in Dubai in March. As Rohit turned up for the fitness assessment, the question that lingered was: When will Virat Kohli come?Joining Rohit on Saturday were pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah, Test skipper Shubman Gill, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Siraj, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, while Jitesh Sharma arrived on Friday. Some players, like Thakur, who will lead West Zone in the Duleep Trophy semifinals starting September 4, are likely to stay longer, while Gill, who pulled out as North Zone captain due to illness, along with a few others, is expected to depart for Dubai for the Asia Cup from here.On the day, some players took the opportunity to watch the Duleep Trophy matches and interact with fellow cricketers.