BCCI is reportedly reevaluating options for head physiotherapist and team doctor looking at packed calendar.
Pacer Jasprit Bumrah is the most recent player to join India's expanding list of players who have been dealing with injuries and frequent breakdowns in recent months. Due to their respective injuries, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana are already not available for selection.
Washington Sundar will not play in the first Test against Sri Lanka and is still very unlikely to play in the second. Sai Sudharsan has also been selected for the Indian squad, pending BCCI Center of Excellence (CoE) fitness certification.
Captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir are displeased with the current state of injuries to key players of the Indian team, and multiple discussions took place during the recent ODI series in England.
It has been a frustrating period for both the captain and coach, as they have been forced to play without their first-choice squad due to availability issues.
"It becomes a little difficult when you come to the ground in the morning and find out that a player has a niggle. Then it's almost like asking whether you want to take a chance. If a player is only 80% fit and you are playing with five bowlers, and that player comes off after bowling five overs, then who will bowl? This is difficult. So, as a group, we need to improve our fitness and all those things," Gill had said after the Lord's defeat last month.
The CoE has been blamed by many for these recurring injury issues, including head physiotherapist Kamlesh. Many senior players are consulting experts outside of the BCCI structure, and some have even expressed dissatisfaction with the switch from former strength and conditioning coach Soham Desai to Adrian Le Roux.
"The role of head physio Kamlesh Jain is under the scanner, as is that of the experts at the CoE. These injury concerns aren't ideal because both the captain and coach have regularly struggled to field a full-strength playing XI. How can one think about the right playing combination when even the 15 isn't their first choice?
There is so much competition for each spot that a player is expected to push his body. This is where the support staff and the CoE need to step in. They need to raise the red flags and not rush players back into action. The situation is now becoming a bit embarrassing, and every concerned person needs to be held accountable.
Was Nitish Reddy 100% fit when he played the third ODI against Afghanistan? Was Harshit rushed back? These are some very valid questions that require explanations," a source told Times of India.
This development comes as India looks at a packed cricketing calendar, starting with two Tests against Sri Lanka. This might force the BCCI to explore other options for the positions of head physiotherapist and even team doctor.