![\"A](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-132549277,imgsize-24929,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/nitish-reddy-2207-pti.jpg\" "\\"Nitish")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nNEW DELHI: India\u2019s ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill<\/a> expressed concern over his team\u2019s fitness standards after the ODI series defeat in England. A string of players breaking down before or during series has repeatedly left the team hamstrung over the past year. Gill suggested that India might be missing a trick in managing players\u2019 fitness.His comments have brought into focus the breakdown of a system built on coordination between the Indian team management and the Centre of Excellence (CoE). Not long ago, India had all their key players fit and available for three ICC events in 2023, 2024 and 2025. TOI understands that some senior players are struggling to adapt to a new system following a change in personnel last year. The most worrying aspect has been the recurrence of hamstring injuries.\u201cThe flurry of recent hamstring injuries suggests that the players may not have been absolutely fit before taking the field. There seems to be a gap in communication about a player\u2019s fitness status and workload between the CoE and the team management,\u201d a BCCI<\/a> source said. The CoE has not appointed a head of medical staff since Nitin Patel left. \u201cThere has been no update to the SOPs drawn up in 2023. Data collection has become more robust, but acting on it has become slower,\u201d the source added.<\/p>\n During Rahul Dravid\u2019s tenure as head coach, the BCCI medical team, the CoE and the team management had charted out year-long roadmaps for individual players around major ICC events. The objective was to get each player to the required fitness level in time for the next ICC tournament or marquee Test series.The recurring injuries suffered by Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy have not gone down well with the BCCI. Sources said Reddy was being pushed to bowl close to 140kmph to compensate for the injury-prone Hardik Pandya<\/a>.\u201cReddy worked with English bowling coach Stefan Jones to increase his pace. But that needs to be a gradual process when he is with the team leading up to a big event. Instead, he is pushing himself to bowl faster whenever he is with the team,\u201d the source said.\u201cIt\u2019s a bit concerning how Harshit was cleared by the CoE at the insistence of the team management when he had not attained his pre-knee-injury weight. These things need more care,\u201d the source added.Jasprit Bumrah, for instance, is a special case for BCCI. Even with his history, he is barely pushed to hit high speeds months away from a marquee assignment. His loads are gradually increased to reach the desired level when the assignment arrives.Akash Deep, who had barely broken down he shouldered the responsibility of Bengal\u2019s pace attack in multiple Ranji Trophy campaigns, couldn\u2019t bear the load of two Test matches on the bounce since returning from injury in last year\u2019s IPL.\u201cAkash broke down with his hamstring in between Tests in England last year. He then again was cleared domestic cricket. He played till Bengal lost the Ranji semifinal and has been out with stress fracture since. Coe needs to see why these things are happening,\u201d the source mentioned. \u201cIt has to be seen if the injury preventive measures are implemented properly.As for Gill, he too struggled with hamstring in the recent ODI series in England after crossing 50 in two matches.<\/p>\n It is learnt that several players are anxious about the limited communication from the BCCI\u2019s medical team when they are not travelling with the national side.\u201cThese days, there are very few all-format players. Most players get decent breaks between international assignments. If they are not undergoing rehabilitation at the CoE, they are left on their own. There is little communication,\u201d the source said.The most recent example is Rohit Sharma\u2019s hamstring problem during the IPL. When the Mumbai Indians management struggled to identify the issue for nearly a month, Rohit took the initiative and consulted records in the BCCI database, which had monitored him when he played all three formats.The team management is also concerned about Washington Sundar breaking down repeatedly. It is understood that although Reddy, Rana and Washington are young, they spend a significant amount of time with physios recovering from injuries.\u201cBesides Washington, who has always had fitness issues, it is concerning to see Sanju Samson putting on weight so easily. It is a result of the gap in the system. The overall fielding standard has dropped because of these fitness issues,\u201d the source said.\u201cThe players require more a more hands-on empathetic approach from the medical team. At the moment, most seasoned international cricketers are reluctant to seek CoE\u2019s intervention. They prefer to train at their own arrangements elsewhere. This needs to be addressed,\u201d the source added.<\/div>\nPlayers pushed without clear plan
<\/h2>\n<\/p>\nLittle support between assignments
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