VVS Laxman Reveals Real Reason Behind Injury Crisis In Indian Team

VVS Laxman and Hardik Pandya - (Source: AFP/X)

Indian cricket has been hit with a long list of injuries, and the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence is turning into a hospital ward. At present, around 13 cricketers are reportedly undergoing rehab at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, including 10 international stars who could have been part of India’s current Sri Lanka tour.

There is a lot of criticism directed at the CoE headed by VVS Laxman for their poor injury management. Notably, the likes of Hardik Pandya and Sai Sudharsan failed to recover in time, raising serious questions about the doctors present at the CoE. 

Top BCCI officials to review CoE Doctors

A recent report from PTI mentioned that the BCCI is also unhappy with the CoE officials, and the board members will review the facilities and conduct a meeting under VVS Laxman’s supervision.

In the latest events, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia visited the CoE to celebrate the second anniversary and also hold a meeting with the officials, where the injury crisis is understood to be a key criteria.

Notably, according to Gaurav Gupta of TOI, all 4 office bearers of the BCCI took an inspection round of the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. 

VVS Laxman Clears The Air On Injuries

After Devajit Saikia and VVS Laxman met, the duo held a press conference, where the CoE addressed the criticism and backed the state-of-the-art facility in Bengaluru. The former India batter stated that the centre is not for rehabilitation, but to achieve excellence.

“Centre of Excellence is not a rehabilitation centre. It’s a centre where we strive for excellence every day," remarked VVS Laxman. 

Also Read: BCCI Steps In As India’s Injury Crisis Deepens; Meeting Locked In Before IND Vs SL Tests

"Injuries are part and parcel of any player's career. That's why a monitoring system is very critical. And we don't use the term blame then we will be trying to find scapegoats," Laxman on spate of injuries."

VVS Laxman Explains Rise In Injuries In Indian Cricket

For the unversed, India don't have a head of sports science since 2025 when Nitin Patel left. It is a major reason behind the recent rise of injuries within the Indian team.

“After Nitin Patel left as Head of Sports Science, we could not zero in on anyone. We conducted an interview and identified five candidates, but unfortunately could not move to Bangalore for the full contract period. We have also zeroed in on Andrew Leipus, But he also could not move to Bangalore because of some family reasons," remarked CoE head VVS Laxman.

List of Indian Cricketers Who Are Nursing Injuries

Jasprit Bumrah (knee swelling)

 B Sai Sudharsan (left big toe injury)

Harshit Rana (hamstring)

Nitish Kumar Reddy (hamstring) 

Washington Sundar (quadriceps) 

Akash Deep (lower back stress fracture) 

Hardik Pandya (quadriceps)

Varun Chakravarthy (hamstring) 

Prince Yadav (hamstring)

Notably, even for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka, Jasprit Bumrah and Sai Sudharsan have been ruled out of the Tests after failing to recover from their respective injuries.

Also Read: VVS Laxman Himself Rules Out Possibility Of Replacing Gautam Gambhir, Ajit Agarkar At BCCI