Laxman says CoE and Indian team management have ‘brilliant coordination’ amid injury crisis

V.V.S. Laxman, head of the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, told reporters at the CoE premises in Bengaluru on Sunday, August 9, 2026, that there is "brilliant coordination between the CoE, the team management and the SSM (Sports Science & Medicine) staff" as he defended the CoE’s injury-management and recovery protocols amid an injury crisis that has left Jasprit Bumrah and B. Sai Sudharsan unavailable for the upcoming tour to Sri Lanka.

India’s recent run of fitness setbacks prompted Laxman to reject the search for scapegoats, saying "We don't like to use the word blame, because when you do, you’re [trying to] find a scapegoat." He reiterated the CoE’s broader remit and insisted the institution works closely with team medical and performance staff to manage elite players’ workloads and recoveries.

Laxman addressed a pattern of players being cleared and then suffering fresh injuries, stressing that the CoE is not simply "a rehab centre" and has a "bigger mandate." He said: “When someone is playing at the elite level, you’re supposed to give more than 100%,” and added: “Injuries are bound to happen. If you’re thinking about not getting injured, you’re not playing to the best of your ability. Monitoring is very, very critical, and I’ve got no doubt that Adrian Le Roux (S&C coach, Indian team) and others are doing that,” the 51-year-old added.

Both Jasprit Bumrah and B. Sai Sudharsan had been named conditionally in the squad for the two Tests against Sri Lanka before failing to obtain fitness clearances, a situation Laxman discussed while defending the CoE’s role in player welfare and preparation.

On selection policy, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia rejected the idea of excluding players still in rehabilitation from consideration. “We have our selection meetings at least three to four weeks before the team departs,” Saikia said. “We don’t reject because by the time the player will have to travel or play, he may be totally fit. It’s a human body, not a machine. It may take 14 days or 28 days.”

The CoE has been operating without a Head of Sports Science since Nitin Patel’s exit in March 2025; Saikia attributed the vacancy to an “acute shortage of right candidates,” and Laxman said there would be no rush in making an appointment because quality is paramount.

Laxman confirmed that Andrew Leipus had been the board’s first choice but did not join. “Andrew had almost agreed but then backed out,” Laxman said. “The next interview process was extensive, and the first candidate was from Australia, but he did not join. The second and third candidates are already working at the CoE. It is our responsibility to upskill them while we identify someone of that stature, experience and knowledge.”

The CoE will continue its search for a permanent Head of Sports Science while developing internal candidates, and the BCCI’s selection timetable—meetings held at least three to four weeks before departure—remains the mechanism for finalising squads for the two Tests against Sri Lanka.