Yo - Yo is a variation of the Beep test, a running aerobic fitness routine that Indian cricketers had to undergo in the past. Yo - Yo Test was developed by the Danish soccer physiologist Jens Bangsbo.
He tested it on footballers to improve their overall fitness levels, with a routine that was not just about running long distances. Over a time, other sports started adopting Yo - Yo.
For elite footballers, the benchmark score was set high at 21. Yo - Yo was introduced to Indian cricket by fitness trainer Shankar Basu. It was in 2017 ahead of the Sri Lanka Tour, the cricketers underwent these tests.
Indian players such as Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh had failed to clear the test and now, it is Rayudu who is missing out on the England ODI series
The current Indian Team Management feels that irrespective of a cricketer’s ability, a minimum fitness level is must.
There are two levels of this Test: Level 1 (Beginners) and Level 2 (Advanced).
Level 1 is effectively the same as the standard beep test. However, Level 2 starts at a at a higher running speed and has different increments in speed.
The purpose of this test is to check a sportesperson's aerobic endurance fitness and the reliability of the Test depends upon how strictly the test is conducted.
Indian captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri firmly back the test. However, cricketers have to clear the Yo - Yo test for selection to the India ‘A’ and the national teams, irrespective of their performance on the field.