New Delhi: Amidst a growing injury crisis that has sidelined a host of key players, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia will meet Head of Cricket VVS Laxman on Sunday at the Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru. The high-level meeting has been convened to take stock of the rehabilitation management programme and address the spate of fitness concerns that have plagued the Indian cricket team in recent weeks.
A Long List of Ailing Stars
The injury list has become a significant concern for the Indian team management and selectors, affecting preparations for the Test series against Sri Lanka. As many as ten players are currently undergoing rehabilitation at the COE, leaving the team depleted across formats.
- Test Specialists Out: Key pacers Jasprit Bumrah (knee swelling) and Akash Deep (lower back stress fracture) are among the notable absentees. B Sai Sudharsan (foot), Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Washington Sundar are also recovering from various injuries.
- White-Ball Woes: All-rounder Hardik Pandya and spinners Varun Chakravarthy are also at the COE, adding to the workload on the support staff.
- Return-to-Play Concerns: The situation has been further complicated by reports that Harshit Rana arrived in England “distinctly overweight,” a development that has not gone down well with the selection committee.
Key Issues on the Agenda
The meeting between Saikia and Laxman is expected to address several systemic and operational challenges.
- Vacant Leadership Role: The COE has been without a permanent Head of Sports Science since Nitin Patel’s resignation in early 2025. This has overworked the existing support staff and raised questions about the board’s ability to attract top talent.
- Coordination Gap: There are murmurs of a disconnect between the COE and the selection committee regarding player recovery timelines. For instance, the selectors were initially led to believe that Bumrah and Sudharsan might be available for the Sri Lanka Tests, only for the COE’s medical team to rule them out at the last minute.
- Workload Management: The situation has sparked debate about player workload, with Nitish Reddy’s hamstring and quadriceps issues being attributed to an attempt to increase his bowling speed significantly.
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Voices of Concern
The injury crisis has drawn criticism from former players. Mohammad Kaif questioned the BCCI’s struggle to fill key medical positions despite its immense financial resources. “I am surprised because so many people are eager to work with the BCCI. We have so much money that if we call someone, they will come running,” Kaif commented, suggesting the board needs to urgently fix its “loopholes.”
The outcome of the meeting, which may also be joined online by head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, will be crucial in determining the way forward for injury management in Indian cricket.
