India’s injury crisis has deepened in recent times, with several key players set to miss the upcoming Sri Lanka Tests. Jasprit Bumrah is dealing with knee swelling, while Sai Sudharsan (left big toe), Harshit Rana (hamstring), Nitish Kumar Reddy (hamstring) and Washington Sundar (quadriceps) are also sidelined. Akash Deep, who has been out since Bengal’s Ranji Trophy semi-final defeat with a lower-back stress fracture, remains the longest-term absentee.
The concerns extend to the white-ball setup, with Hardik Pandya (quadriceps), Varun Chakravarthy (hamstring) and Prince Yadav (hamstring) currently at the Centre of Excellence. The immediate challenge is to get these players back on the field, but the growing list of injuries has also put the COE and its management under increasing scrutiny.
With India’s injury list growing, former India batter Wasim Jaffer believes the team needs to take a stricter approach towards fitness standards. He pointed to the Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri era as an example of a time when players were held to higher physical standards.
"I feel we need to be a little stricter with the physical tests that we have. We were very strict during Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri's time. I feel we need to get back to that. It is necessary to be more strict, I feel. We were at our fittest at that time. Our fast bowlers were playing continuously at that time. If anyone failed the fitness test, they were not picked. Players were keeping themselves very fit. It was criticised for being too strict, but a lot depends on fitness, so we need to get back to that with such high demands and to stay at the top as a team," he said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Also Read - ‘Sarfaraz Khan’s name comes into my best XI’: Kaif throws Dhruv Jurel selection into doubt
“Laxman doing a great job”
{{/usCountry}}Also Read - ‘Sarfaraz Khan’s name comes into my best XI’: Kaif throws Dhruv Jurel selection into doubt
“Laxman doing a great job”
{{/usCountry}}Jaffer also defended the Centre of Excellence amid the growing scrutiny over India’s injury crisis. He explained that contracted and targeted players regularly undergo fitness tests there, while injured players continue their rehabilitation and recovery programmes.
"The players who want some practice come there. There is also a list of contracted players who keep coming to the COE. They have to take fitness tests regularly, they are checked to see if they are in the right shape or not. Even other targeted players are called again and again. The players who are injured do their rehab process and recovery. Laxman is doing a great job. I have seen him closely. He is very sincere about his work, and his communication is great, be it with coaches or selectors. I don't think he is falling short in any department," the former RCB batter expressed.