In a series of shocking events, the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru has turned into a busy place, with a large number of players currently training and undergoing rehabilitation. While several Indian players are dealing with injuries, many domestic stars have also reported to the facility for fitness assessments and monitoring ahead of the upcoming domestic season.
Big concern for Team India
According to a latest report by The Indian Express, a big number of Indian players are set to train at CoE by the end of this week for several reasons. While Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana and Akash Deep are already recovering from their respective injuries, Washington Sundar and a few others are all set to join his national teammates soon.
As per the report, players in consideration for India's upcoming Test series have been asked to go through fitness tests before India's tour of Sri Lanka next month. Star pacer Mohammed Siraj is all set to reach the CoE later this week, while senior all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is also expected to report in the coming days.
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“Hardik has been there training, Reddy is recovering, and Varun and Harshit are undergoing their rehab. The team management doesn’t want to take any chances with its players ahead of the Sri Lanka Test series," said a BCCI source.
The source further stated that after the assessments, the selectors will be informed about every player's status before the team selection for the two-match Test series.
"Thorough assessments will be carried out, and the selectors will be informed about their status before the team is picked for the two Tests. The CoE has a fair idea of the targeted players after the red-ball tournament in Bengaluru," added the source.
With the 2027 ODI World Cup around the corner, India's team management is keeping a close eye on player fitness, to avoid any further injury concerns ahead of the upcoming two-game Test series against Sri Lanka. With a packed calendar packed with a home series against West Indies, the Asian Games and an away assignment in Bangladesh before the multi-format tour of New Zealand, the Men in Blue want a deep pool of fully fit players. The main aim is to have match-ready options to rotate personnel and field separate squads.