Devajit Saikia confirmed IPL franchises maintain operational autonomy over player fitness.
The statement comes amid a growing "club vs country" debate after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fielded spinner Varun Chakaravarthy despite a reported hairline fracture in his left foot.
Saikia confirmed that while Centre of Excellence physios monitor workloads, IPL franchises maintain operational autonomy over player fitness.
Despite the injury, Chakaravarthy was brought back for KKR’s must-win fixture against Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Eden Gardens on May 16. He visibly struggled and hobbled through his entire 4-over spell.
“So far as IPL is concerned, franchises take care of the injuries and fitness of the players. Of course, physios from COE are also monitoring them, workload as well as planning on how to keep them fit," Saikia said while speaking to the media.
“The monitoring is there, but when IPL is going on, we can’t interfere too much. Had it been an Indian team situation, our control would have been more. Now we are giving freedom to franchises to take a call on the players," he added.
With India's T20I series against Ireland and England set to begin in late June, the BCCI fears franchises are prioritizing short-term playoff goals over long-term national player fitness.
“I know for a fact that KKR physio is in touch with Team India physio (Kamlesh Jain). There has been a communication from KKR to BCCI that in a previous match, Varun injured his left foot while saving a boundary," a senior BCCI official said while speaking to PTI.
“It is understood that he has a hairline fracture. I believe that as a centrally contracted player of the BCCI, his fitness is paramount and the BCCI medical team could intervene," the official added.