Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has questioned India's approach to player fitness after a series of injuries left several key players on the sidelines, while defending the physios at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. Jasprit Bumrah, Sai Sudharsan, Washington Sundar, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana are among the Indian players currently unavailable due to injuries. The growing list has triggered questions over injury management, with scrutiny directed towards head coach Gautam Gambhir, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar and the CoE.
However, Gavaskar believes it is unfair to place the responsibility on the physios at the Bengaluru facility. The 1983 World Cup winner pointed out that hamstring injuries have been particularly common among Indian players and argued that their training methods need closer examination. VVS Laxman, the Head of Cricket, recently explained the functioning of the CoE alongside BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and defended the facility's physios, stressing that the centre is not simply a "rehab centre". Gavaskar has now echoed that view. "While Bumrah has a knee injury, it is seen that most Indian players suffer from hamstring injuries. Clearly, there’s something wrong with their training, and that’s why these recurring hamstring injuries. These injuries happen when they are playing for India, but unfortunately, the blame is put on the physios at the BCCI centre of excellence," wrote Gavaskar in his column for Mid-Day. Gavaskar also questioned the increasingly common restrictions placed on bowlers during net sessions under the idea of managing their biomechanics and workloads. "The so-called biomechanics, where a bowler can bowl only so many deliveries in the practice nets, is a questionable practice. Even in the IPL, it is learnt that some of the overseas physios don’t allow the bowlers to bowl more than 20 balls in the nets. If in the match you will be bowling 24 balls, that is, if you don’t bowl no-balls and wides, then how is bowling a lesser number in the nets going to help?" he added. The former India captain also challenged the emphasis placed on gym-based fitness, suggesting that players should focus more on being prepared for the demands of actual matches. Gavaskar believes the recurring injuries require a detailed assessment rather than simply attributing them to the medical staff at the CoE. "It’s an issue that needs a good, hard look at why these injuries are happening again and again. It is more important to be match fit than gym fit. But then, maybe I am from a generation that had different ideas on fitness," wrote Gavaskar. India's injury concerns have also been highlighted by captain Shubman Gill. Following the ODI series defeat against England, Gill expressed frustration at the constant changes to the playing XI because of injuries. Gill pointed towards the demands of the upcoming World Cup, where India could have to play nine to 10 matches, and questioned how players would manage that workload if they are currently struggling to remain available for even two or three games. With several players sidelined and recurring hamstring issues becoming a concern, the debate over India's fitness methods and injury management is likely to continue. Gavaskar's comments shift some of the focus away from the CoE physios and towards the broader approach to player training and match readiness.