The Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru has come under heavy scrutiny after several Indian players were sidelined with injuries. Sai Sudharsan and Jasprit Bumrah are the latest additions to the list, and there seems to be a disconnect among the current team management, headed by coach Gautam Gambhir, the selection committee, and the CoE. On Sunday, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia visited the centre, where he met Head of Cricket VVS Laxman to take stock of the rehabilitation management programme.
Jasprit Bumrah (knee swelling), B Sai Sudharsan (left foot big toe), Harshit Rana (hamstring), Nitish Kumar Reddy (hamstring), Akash Deep (lower back stress fracture) and Washington Sundar (quadriceps) are some of the players who have been sidelined due to various injuries. Moreover, Hardik Pandya (quadriceps), Varun Chakravarthy (hamstring) and Prince Yadav (hamstring) are also at the CoE as they try to recover from their respective injuries.
Also Read: VVS Laxman, Saikia break silence on Bumrah, Sai Sudharsan fitness calls amid questions over India’s selection process
It is also worth noting that the CoE’s Sports Science team has lacked a figurehead since Nitin Patel’s resignation in early 2025. After meeting the BCCI secretary, Devajit Saikia, VVS Laxman, the former India batter, addressed the media, where he spoke about several issues and made it clear that the CoE is not a “rehabilitation centre” and that the process is to keep the Indian pipeline going strong.
Laxman gave away several talking points, and here are the five major discussion-worthy moments from his official press conference.
‘Not just a rehab centre’
Laxman, the Head of Cricket at the CoE, made it clear that the institution’s task goes beyond managing injuries and that the centre has to look after more than just injuries. He added that the main task is to keep the Indian cricket pipeline strong and ensure there is no dearth of resources.
“CoE isn’t just a rehab centre. There are bigger roles to play for it in helping players achieve excellence. Injuries are part and parcel of any player’s career. That is why a monitoring system is very critical,” Laxman told reporters on Sunday.
No blame game
Laxman also added that there’s no disconnect with the team management and no one is looking to play the blame game, as the main focus is on identifying the root cause of the problem.
“I think we don’t like to use the word ‘blame’, because when you are using ‘blame’, then you are finding someone as a scapegoat. I don’t know how you all feel, and you start blaming because of this and that. But there is a brilliant coordination between the COE, between the team management of both the teams, and the SSM (Sports Science and Medicine) staff of both the teams, and the selection committee,” said Laxman.
Selection process explained
Laxman also cited the examples of Sai Sudharsan and Jasprit Bumrah as he explained the process for passing player reports to the selection committee and the team management. He also explained why the term “subject to fitness” is attached to the concerned players when there is an injury scare.
“When we send a fitness status report, the process is that the selector reaches out to the COE asking for the fitness status report. We collect the current fitness status and send a fitness status report to the selection committee chairman or chairperson in the women’s selection committee, with a copy to the head coach of both the teams and the BCCI,” said Laxman.
“Now, Bumrah and Sai Sudharsan, there is always an asterisk. When the media release comes from the BCCI, an asterisk is attached to a player selection. And what does that asterisk mean? It means ‘subject to fitness’. So Bumrah and Sai Sudharsan were going to be picked, subject to fitness clearance. You assess them, move them from one stage to the next, and, if the progression is slow, you communicate to the selection committee chairman and the head coach. This is happening seamlessly. They understand that they are not yet ready to participate in an international series. It is always player-centric and team-centric,” he added.
No head of Sports Science
Laxman also revealed that the board has been facing difficulties in filling the position of Head of Sports Science and Medicine (SSM. He revealed that the two candidates were finalised by the CoE, but they backed out at the last minute.
“After Nitin (Patel) left, we couldn’t fill his shoes. Everything was agreed upon; Andrew (Leipus) backed off, citing family reasons. We shortlisted five candidates. 1 was Australian, can’t name him. He suddenly backed out, saying he can’t move to Bengaluru. It’s not a consultant role. You want the person to be there. It’s day-to-day monitoring,” Laxman said.
“Another professional, the head of the All Blacks, agreed and backed out. To fill that position, not just stature and experience, but also an understanding of Indian cricketers, is important. With the Head of SSM position not filling, the vertical heads have stepped up,” he said.
Bronco Test
The Indian men’s team strength and conditioning coach, Adrian Le Roux, introduced the Bronco Test for players in between a series, as it’s not possible to conduct Yo-Yo Tests during a high-profile series. This latest move was made to have the players in optimal fitness at all times.
Explaining the situation, Laxman said, “Yo Yo test cannot be done when a player is part of the series, so we have introduced the Bronco test by Adrian, so that the fitness can be monitored continuously.”