The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly expressed concern over the functioning of the Center of Excellence (CoE) following injuries to key players. India captain Shubman Gill also questioned the team’s fitness standards after suffering multiple hamstring injuries during the recent tour of England.
The current system lacks the coordination that existed during Rahul Dravid’s tenure as the head coach of Team India. Notably, the Center of Excellence in Bengaluru is without a full-time head of the medical staff since the departure of Nitin Patel, creating challenges in managing the fitness and rehabilitation of players.
Shubman Gill expressed concern over India’s fitness standards
India’s ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill raised questions on the team’s fitness standards after the ODI series defeat in England. Gill was suffering from hamstring problem during the series. Decipte scored two half-centuries.
The recent rise in hamstring injuries has highlighted the gap in communication between the CoE and the Indian team management, reports The Times of India. The report also said that the standard operating procedures (SOPs) introduced in 2023 have not been updated.
“The recent hamstring injuries show that the players were not fully fit before taking the field. It seems there is a gap in communication between the CoE and the team management regarding the player’s fitness status and workload,” a BCCI source told The Times of India.
BCCI is worried about handling young fast bowlers
The report states that BCCI is unhappy with the management of young fast bowlers Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana. Nitish reportedly worked with bowling coach Stephen Jones to increase his speed.
However, the BCCI believes that such changes should happen gradually rather than during major operations. The report also claimed that Harshit was cleared to return even before he could reach his pre-injury fitness level.
“Reddy worked with English bowling coach Stephen Jones to improve his pace. But it should be a gradual process when he is with the team for a big event. Instead, he pushes himself to bowl fast whenever he is with the team,” the source said.
The source further added, “It is a matter of slight concern how the CoE acquitted Harshit at the insistence of the team management when he had still not regained his pre-knee injury weight. These things need to be paid more attention to.”
BCCI raises questions over injury management of Akash Deep and Washington Sundar
The report further claims that Washington Sundar and Akash Deep were not managed carefully during their recovery. Washington was brought into action during the 2026 T20 World Cup, while Akash Deep suffered a stress fracture after returning from a hamstring injury and a heavy domestic workload.
The source said, “Washington needed 10 days to get fit to play the match after joining the team. The team management had pushed him to prepare during the tournament. This may have had an impact. The team can make demands of the players but the medical team will have to present a clear picture.”
The source further added, “Aakash ruptured his hamstring midway through the Test in England last year. He was then cleared for domestic cricket. He played until Bengal lost the Ranji semi-finals and has been out since then with a stress fracture. The CoE needs to look into why these things are happening.”
