Cricket Players’ Fitness Under Question: COE Has Had No Chief Doctor for 16 Months; Laxman Explains Why

Bengaluru: Over the past two years, several members of the Indian national cricket team have successfully undergone treatment for various injuries at the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru. Surprisingly, however, the COE has been without a chief doctor for the past 16 months.

Dr. Nitin Patel Left the Post

The position fell vacant after Dr. Nitin Patel, who had been associated with the BCCI for several years, resigned as Head of the Sports Science Department in March 2025.

Which Players Are Injured?

Among the well-known players who are currently injured or have undergone or are undergoing treatment at the COE are Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shubhman Gill, Akash Deep and Varun Chakravarthy.

The latest player to be admitted to the COE for treatment and rehabilitation is batter Sai Sudharsan. Several of these players have been undergoing treatment at the COE for a long period, while some have had to return to the facility for further treatment after making their comeback to competitive cricket.

Sudharsan Ruled Out; Sarfaraz Added to Squad

Sudharsan will miss the Test series against Sri Lanka, beginning on Saturday, August 15, due to injury. Sarfaraz Khan has been included in the squad as his replacement.

What Did COE Chief Laxman Say?

Former India batter VVS Laxman, who has been the chief of the COE for some time, explained the reason behind the vacant position.

“After Dr. Nitin Patel left his position as Head of the Sports Science Department, we were unable to select his replacement. We conducted several interviews and even shortlisted five candidates, but none of them was willing to stay in Bengaluru for the entire duration of the contract.

“We had also selected the experienced and well-known Andrew Leipus, but he too could not move to Bengaluru due to family reasons,” Laxman said.

Shubman Gill Had Raised the Fitness Concern

During India’s tour of England, ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill had raised questions about the fitness of the players. India lost the series 1-2. Gill himself was struggling with fitness issues at the time.

Gill had then questioned whether the players were taking their fitness seriously enough ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup.

“We will have to play 11 matches in the World Cup, whereas at present some players are not even able to play two or three matches. As a team, it is very important for us to improve the players’ fitness,” Gill had said.

Also Read – Injured Sai Sudarshan Replaced By Sarfaraz Khan For SL Tests