Former India batter VVS Laxman addressed the media along with Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia. The media questioned the duo about the growing number of injuries to Indian players. The latest in the list is Sai Sudharsan, who has been ruled out of the Sri Lanka tour.
Laxman said that the Centre of Excellence wasn’t a rehab centre and it was meant to be a place where cricketers hone their skills and achieve better results. He also added that injuries were very much a part of any player’s career and one cannot use the word blame, and it is not right to find scapegoats either.
The 51-year-old also said that when the CoE sends out a report regarding the fitness of a player, the selection panel gets in touch asking for a status report. The Centre of Excellence then sends out the report asked for to the Men’s and Women’s selection committee and also sends a copy to the coach of both sides and the BCCI. Some of the leading names like Hardik Pandya are also on the injured list and have not played since his IPL 2026 stint with Mumbai Indians ended in May.
He also quoted the examples of Sudharsan and Jasprit Bumrah, who were ruled out of the Lanka series. VVS said that when both players were picked for the series, there was an asterisk close to their name, which meant subject to fitness. He mentioned that this asterisk was something everyone had to keep in mind. The duo was supposed to be picked for the series, but their fitness was also being monitored. If the progress of their recovery is slow, then the same is communicated to the selection panel and also the coach, which gives all the parties a fair understanding why the players aren’t ready.
BCCI secretary has his say on injury issues
Mr Devajit Saikia too was part of the press meet, where he seemed to be in total agreement with Laxman, who is the head of the CoE. BCCI secretary said that selection meetings are done three to four weeks before a team plays a series or tour, and it is not feasible to know the fitness status of a player. He also said that if a player gets fit within the prescribed time limit, he plays.
During the press meet, the board secretary said that a player is not rejected outright because there is a chance he could get fit within the period of time. Nobody can predict the timeline, and he also backed Laxman’s comments and added that a human body is not a machine and the recovery time could vary.