VVS Laxman defends BCCI Centre of Excellence amid injury concerns

VVS Laxman, head of the BCCI Centre of Excellence, has pushed back firmly against criticism of the facility as five senior India players remained unavailable due to fitness concerns. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and BCCI president Mithun Manhas were both present at the event, which came at a particularly sensitive moment for Indian cricket’s support infrastructure.

The five players currently sidelined are Jasprit Bumrah, who has left knee swelling and fluid retention, B Sai Sudharsan with a big toe injury, Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy with hamstring problems, and Washington Sundar with a quadriceps issue. The concentration of fitness setbacks has drawn considerable scrutiny from the public and administrators alike, with Saikia’s visit on August 9 focused specifically on reviewing the CoE’s injury-management arrangements.

Laxman was direct in his defence of the facility.

“CoE is not merely a rehab centre. There are bigger roles to play for it in helping cricketers achieve excellence.’ He made clear that the CoE’s responsibilities span the full development of India’s playing resources, not just the treatment of injured players,” he said in a press conference.

What did Laxman say about India’s approach to fitness monitoring?

Laxman rejected the notion that blame should be assigned when players sustain injuries, arguing instead that a robust monitoring framework is the appropriate institutional response.

“Injuries are part and parcel of any player’s career. That’s why monitoring system is very critical. And we don’t use the term blame then we will be trying to find scapegoats,” he continued.

He also highlighted a specific change to fitness testing protocols introduced by the CoE. Because the standard Yo-Yo test cannot be conducted while a player is on tour, the facility has brought in an alternative.

“Yo Yo test cannot be done when a player is part of the series, so we have introduced Bronco test by Adrian, so that the fitness can be monitored continously.’ The move reflects an effort to keep fitness data current for players throughout an active campaign rather than only between series,” Laxman explained.

The CoE’s sports science team has been without a permanent head since Nitin Patel’s departure in early 2025, and the facility has encountered repeated difficulties filling the Head of Sports Science and Medicine role, with multiple candidates withdrawing from the process.

How are the Bumrah and Sudharsan fitness cases being managed?

Both Bumrah and Sudharsan were included in India’s squad on a subject-to-fitness basis, with their availability dependent on clearance from the CoE’s medical and sports science staff. Following assessment, the experts chose a cautious path and withheld clearance for both players.

“Jasprit Bumrah and B Sai Sudharsan were picked as subject to fitness. We move them from one parameter to other before giving the clearance to play. The communication between CoE and team management is quite seamless,” he concluded.

The statement confirmed that fitness decisions pass through several assessment stages before a player is formally declared available, and that the CoE and team management remain in close contact throughout.

India’s Test series against Sri Lanka starts on August 15, 2026, leaving a narrow window for any of the five injured players to be reassessed and cleared.

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