Team India's mounting injury concerns have exposed what appears to be a growing disconnect between the national team management and the BCCI's Centre of Excellence, with questions being raised over fitness monitoring, workload management and rehabilitation protocols.
The debate intensified after India captain Shubman Gill voiced his frustration over the spate of injuries during the ODI series in England, where he himself battled a hamstring problem after crossing fifty in two matches. His comments have now been followed by a report in The Times of India, which cited BCCI sources claiming communication gaps and outdated processes have contributed to the recurring fitness setbacks.
"The flurry of recent hamstring injuries suggests that the players may not have been absolutely fit before taking the field. There seems to be a gap in communication about a player's fitness status and workload between the CoE and the team management," a BCCI source told The Times of India.
According to the report, Standard Operating Procedures introduced in 2023 have not been updated, despite improved data collection. "There has been no update to the SOPs drawn up in 2023. Data collection has become more robust, but acting on it has become slower," the source added.
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Several recent cases have come under scrutiny. Nitish Kumar Reddy, who has struggled with recurring injuries, was reportedly attempting to increase his bowling pace after working with England bowling coach Stefan Jones. "Reddy worked with English bowling coach Stefan Jones to increase his pace. But that needs to be a gradual process... Instead, he is pushing himself to bowl faster whenever he is with the team," the source said.
Harshit Rana's clearance after a knee injury has also raised concerns. "It's a bit concerning how Harshit was cleared by the CoE at the insistence of the team management when he had not attained his pre-knee-injury weight. These things need more care," the source told the publication.
Akash Deep's injury progression was highlighted as another example. After recovering from a hamstring injury, he returned to domestic cricket before later suffering a stress fracture. "CoE needs to see why these things are happening," the source said.
The report also questioned the lack of regular communication with players during breaks between international assignments, adding that several senior cricketers now prefer private rehabilitation setups over the CoE because they seek "a more hands-on empathetic approach" from the medical team.
Concerns were also raised over the fitness of Washington Sundar and Sanju Samson, with the source linking recurring issues and declining fielding standards to wider gaps in the current system.
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