VVS Laxman, head of the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, on Sunday, 9 August outlined a rigorous, data-driven recovery framework that requires injured players to meet individualised fitness benchmarks and complete two Return To Play (RTP) matches before they are cleared to rejoin national or domestic squads. His remarks came as the number of injured senior men's team players undergoing rehabilitation at the CoE crossed double digits.

How the Diagnosis-to-Clearance Pipeline Works

Laxman described a multi-stage process that begins the moment a player sustains an injury. 'The process starts with diagnosing the injury and finishes with a player declared fit after the two RTP matches we have,' he told reporters at the CoE facility. The BCCI works with a network of world-renowned specialists: Dr Rowan Schouten handles stress fractures of the back; Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala in Mumbai is the go-to for shoulder and knee injuries; Dr Kini specialises in foot and ankle; and Dr Sudhir Warrier covers hand and wrist cases. Additional surgical expertise is drawn from a doctor in England for ankle surgeries, one in Munich for sports hernia, and a consultant in South Africa. Scan readings are handled by interventional radiologists Dr Muthukumar, Dr Shrikant, and Dr Kini.

From Physio Table to Match Fitness

Once a player arrives at the CoE, the recovery arc moves through clinical assessment, physiotherapy, strength and conditioning, and finally skill-based load building. 'Slowly they go to the skill part, and then we build up the load, and then we play two RTP matches before we declare the player fit,' Laxman explained. Crucially, clearance is not time-based but performance-based: 'Until and unless that benchmark is not met, or in fact got better, we don't release.' The benchmark for each player — covering both skill and fitness parameters — is drawn from historical data held in the CoE's systems, ensuring the returning cricketer is capable of performing 'from the first match' back.

Technology and the Fast-Bowler Workload Puzzle

Laxman placed particular emphasis on the Athlete Management System (AMS) and GPS wearables in managing fast-bowler workloads. He challenged a widely held assumption about pace-bowling injuries: 'Our learning is, the stress injuries or the injuries happen not because a fast bowler is bowling too much. It happens that a fast bowler is not bowling enough.' The CoE sets a weekly delivery target — a 'sweet spot' — for every fast bowler across the contracted, targeted, and under-19 pools, and GPS data confirms whether each bowler has met that quota. Remote monitoring, Laxman acknowledged, remains 'very, very critical and it's tough' but is an area the CoE continues to develop.

Laxman Pushes Back on Private-Trainer Reports

Asked about reports that contracted Indian players were bypassing official setups to consult private fitness trainers during rehabilitation, Laxman was unequivocal: 'This is news to me.' He pointed to the AMS as a complete audit trail — 'every session of the player is there' — and vouched for the credentials of the support staff, including men's team trainer Adrian le Roux, who has been with Indian cricket since 2002, and Nick Lee, who recently joined the women's team as strength and conditioning coach.

Duleep Trophy, Fan Access, and Broadcast Expansion

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia addressed the separate question of spectator access at the CoE, explaining that government land-allocation rules prohibit crowds on the campus. However, he confirmed that the number of live-telecasted matches has been increased ahead of the season-opening Duleep Trophy, scheduled to begin at the CoE from 23 August. Saikia also left open the possibility of hosting the tournament final at an external stadium, saying the board would 'look into that aspect' if required.

With India's injury list still in double digits, the CoE's benchmark-first clearance model will face its most visible stress test in the weeks leading up to the Duleep Trophy — and the national selection cycle that follows.