Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has defended the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Centre of Excellence (CoE) amid criticism over the recurring injuries suffered by Indian cricketers. Gavaskar believes it is unfair to hold the Bengaluru-based facility and its medical staff responsible when many of these injuries occur while players are representing India.

Jasprit Bumrah, Sai Sudharsan, and Hardik Pandya are among the prominent Indian players who have recently dealt with injuries. The CoE has faced criticism from sections of fans and experts, with questions raised over whether players are being cleared to return before completing their rehabilitation.

However, Sunil Gavaskar feels the scrutiny on the physios at the CoE is unfortunate. He pointed out that hamstring injuries have become a recurring concern among Indian players and suggested that their training methods could require a closer examination.

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“While Bumrah has a knee injury, it’s seen that most Indian players suffer from hamstring injuries. Clearly, there is something wrong with their training and that is why these recurring hamstring injuries,” Sunil  Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day.

The batting legend also questioned certain aspects of modern training practices, particularly restrictions based on biomechanics. He argued that limiting a bowler’s workload during practice sessions may not always provide the desired benefits.

“These injuries happen when they are playing for India, but unfortunately the blame is put on the physios at the BCCI Centre of Excellence,” Sunil Gavaskar wrote.

Gavaskar further questioned whether spending extended periods in the gym should be the primary measure of a cricketer’s fitness. According to him, being ready for the demands of competitive matches should take precedence over simply achieving gym-based fitness.

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“It is more important to be match fit than gym fit,” Sunil Gavaskar said, while acknowledging that his generation had different ideas about fitness.

The recurring injury issues have also frustrated India captain Shubman Gill. Following India’s ODI series defeat to England, Gill admitted that constantly changing the playing XI because of injuries was far from ideal for the team. With several key players managing fitness concerns, India will hope for greater consistency in player availability going forward.