BCCI 'trying to find ways' to avoid frequent player injuries

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has attributed the recent wave of injuries among Indian players to the sheer volume of matches on the calendar, saying the board is trying to work out ways to fix the problem.

Saikia pointed to England as an example, noting that out of a 15-player squad picked for the ODI series, three to four players ended up injured. He explained that those same players had gone through two months of IPL cricket just before that assignment, and that kind of workload inevitably takes a toll on the body. He added that the board is looking at what can realistically be done within the current match windows and the existing Future Tours Programme (FTP) to avoid repeating this pattern.

The BCCI leadership met India head coach Gautam Gambhir, Centre of Excellence (CoE) director of cricket VVS Laxman, T20I captain Shreyas Iyer and ODI captain Shubman Gill in Mumbai on Thursday to discuss the issue.

India were unable to field their strongest XI across either leg of the England tour, with Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy all sidelined either during the series or in the buildup. The depleted squad went on to lose both the T20I and ODI series in England, following an earlier defeat in the two-match T20I series in Ireland.

Rest built into the next FTP

Saikia said measures are being put in place for the next FTP cycle to ensure players get enough time to recover. He described the sheer number of matches in a calendar year as the main challenge, and said instructions have already gone out to the board's FTP representative to build in proper rest periods, along with acclimatisation time or warm-up fixtures ahead of major tours to SENA countries. He said Thursday's discussion focused on the protocols needed to protect the fitness of the squad as a whole rather than any single player, with feedback gathered directly from the captains and the head coach to shape the strategy going forward.

India face a heavy schedule over the next six months. After the T20I series against Afghanistan starting September 13, they play home ODI and T20I series against West Indies, then travel to New Zealand for five T20Is and two Tests. A white-ball series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe follows, before the home Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.

Saikia said the intention behind the meeting was to map out a plan for the year ahead leading into the 2027 ODI World Cup while also reviewing recent results. He acknowledged the need for some soul-searching after the losses in England and Ireland, and said specific strategies have already been drawn up for future tours to SENA countries. The overarching goal, he said, is to have the best possible team combination ready by October and November next year for the World Cup, which is shaping the board's thinking on squad preparation given how packed the coming series schedule is.

Saikia also dismissed suggestions of any communication breakdown between the CoE, team management and the selectors, insisting that everyone is aligned. According to him, the only real concern is the frequency of injuries to certain players, and that is precisely what the board is now working to address through concrete measures.