BCCI secy Saikia to visit COE today, will meet Laxman over injury crisis

Devajit Saikia

Concerned with the spate of injuries that has rocked the Indian team of late, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia will be meeting Head of Cricket VVS Laxman on Sunday to take a stock of the rehabilitation management programme at the Centre of Excellence (COE).

India will be missing the services of Jasprit Bumrah (knee swelling), B Sai Sudharsan (left foot big toe), Harshit Rana (hamstring), Nitish Kumar Reddy (hamstring) and Washington Sundar (quadriceps) due to various injuries. Akash Deep (lower back stress fracture) has been out for the longest time since Bengal's Ranji Trophy semi-final defeat.

VVS Laxman

Adding to that, Hardik Pandya (quadriceps), Varun Chakravarthy (hamstring) and Prince Yadav (hamstring) are also at the Centre of Excellence where the Sports Science team is overworked without a figurehead since the resignation of Nitin Patel in early 2025.

Sudharsan and Bumrah were enlisted in the squad subject to fitness but the COE's team of experts decided to exercise caution looking at the bigger picture.

"Yes, secretary Saikia will be in Bengaluru to take a stock of the situation along with VVS Laxman. There is a meeting scheduled between the two. It is not known whether head coach of national team Gautam Gambhir or chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar will join online or not," a source told PTI.