Spate of injuries triggers BCCI action as Secretary Saikia to review CoE protocols with VVS Laxman

Deeply alarmed by the growing list of injured national players, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia is set to convene with Head of Cricket VVS Laxman this Sunday to evaluate player recovery procedures at the Centre of Excellence (CoE). The Indian squad enters its upcoming fixtures heavily depleted, with key names like Jasprit Bumrah (knee inflammation), B Sai Sudharsan (fractured left big toe), Harshit Rana (hamstring strain), Nitish Kumar Reddy (hamstring injury), and Washington Sundar (quadriceps issue) all sidelined. Bengal pacer Akash Deep remains on the long-term recovery track as well, having been out of action with a lower back stress fracture since the Ranji Trophy semifinals.

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BCCI secretary to hold high-level meeting with Laxman to address injury woes

The medical load extends to India's white-ball contingent, with Hardik Pandya (quadriceps), Varun Chakravarthy (hamstring), and Prince Yadav (hamstring) currently undergoing treatment at the Bengaluru facility. The influx of high-profile cases has put immense pressure on the CoE’s Sports Science department, which has operated without a permanent department head since Nitin Patel stepped down in early 2025. The immediate focus for the board is stabilizing the department to expedite player return-to-play timelines safely.

In the cases of Bumrah and Sudharsan, both had been provisionally selected subject to clearing fitness benchmarks. However, medical specialists at the CoE advised against rushing them back into action, opting for a conservative management plan to safeguard their long-term availability.

Friction has reportedly surfaced between the Centre of Excellence and the national selection panel over communication regarding recovery schedules and the premature clearance of injured athletes. The selectors were left frustrated by incidents such as Harshit Rana arriving for the England assignment below optimal fitness standards, highlighting a clear breakdown in oversight between medical monitoring and team assembly.

India battling with injury riddles

Expectations around player availability have further fueled the divide. Selectors were initially led to believe both Jasprit Bumrah and Sai Sudharsan would be fit to feature in at least one Test, only for closer medical evaluations to paint a different picture. Bumrah's impact injury resulted in persistent fluid accumulation around the knee that demands an extended layoff, while Sudharsan continues to suffer pain in his big toe despite gradually ramping up his net sessions to 75 minutes a day.

Fitness setbacks have extended to the squad's emerging talent as well. In an effort to elevate his bowling speeds by 7 to 8 km/h, all-rounder Nitish Reddy placed excessive physical load on his body, ultimately triggering severe strain in both his hamstring and quadriceps.