VVS Laxman Defends BCCI Centre Amid India’s Injury Crisis

With injuries becoming a growing concern for Team India, BCCI Centre of Excellence head VVS Laxman has defended the functioning of the Bengaluru facility. Speaking to the media after BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia visited the COE on Sunday, Laxman said the centre should not be viewed merely as a rehabilitation facility. He stressed that helping cricketers perform at their best is also part of its responsibility.

Laxman said injuries are a normal part of any sportsperson’s career and that no individual or department should be made a scapegoat. He said the COE, team management, sports science and medical staff, and selection committee remain in close coordination, with regular fitness updates being shared. Jasprit Bumrah and Sai Sudharsan were initially selected for the Sri Lanka Test series on the expectation that they would regain fitness, but Bumrah was later ruled out after fluid accumulated in his knee, while Sudharsan missed the series after failing to fully recover from a toe injury.