The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is all set to discuss the roadmap for the Indian men’s team on Thursday, September 3, and the top brass has called for a meeting with head coach Gautam Gambhir, chairman of the selection committee Ajit Agarkar and Centre of Excellence (CoE) chief VVS Laxman in Mumbai. Sources within the board confirmed to HT Digital that one of the discussion points would also revolve around the team’s recent losses in Ireland and England.
Earlier, the review meeting was scheduled to take place immediately after the ODI series against England, but it was postponed. However, it has come to light that the board would indeed be reviewing the matter on Thursday. Moreover, the think tank is concerned about the growing number of injuries, which will be a major topic of debate.
On Tuesday, the selection committee announced the squad for the three-match series against Afghanistan, but four players – Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar and Jasprit Bumrah- were included subject to fitness clearance.
“Yes, there is a meeting on Thursday, and the discussion would revolve around recent losses and also the injury concerns,” a source privy to developments confirmed.
After the T20 World Cup, India lost the series against Ireland and England. Moreover, the Men in Blue also went down in the ODI series against the Three Lions. The Shreyas Iyer-led side went 0-2 down in Ireland and then lost 0-4 against England. The ODI leg offered some respite after India won the opening match in Birmingham, but England eventually took the three-match series 2-1.
The road ahead is difficult
With India’s next major overseas assignment in New Zealand approaching and preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup already gaining importance, the BCCI wants to leave no stone unturned in ensuring greater coordination between the selectors, coaching staff and the CoE.
The CoE has faced scrutiny over a series of injury setbacks, while concerns have emerged about communication between injured players, the medical set-up and the selection committee. Recently, the BCCI secretary, Devajit Saikia, and CoE chief, VVS Laxman, also held a 90-minute press conference, detailing the centre’s work and announcing to the world that the CoE is more than a rehabilitation facility.
The team management’s concerns extend to the workload generated by the Indian Premier League (IPL). Fitness concerns have continued into the latest selection cycle. Hardik Pandya’s fitness is another major talking point. The all-rounder remains an important part of the selectors’ long-term plans, particularly with the next ODI World Cup in mind. However, his current workload remains a concern, as he has yet to play a match for India after the IPL 2026 season.
India’s hopes of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) final hang by a thread, and the Shubman Gill-led unit needs to win six out of their remaining seven Tests. However, the task isn’t that easy as the remaining two assignments are against New Zealand (away) and Australia (home).
India had a chance to leapfrog Bangladesh and jump to the fourth spot in the WTC standings but a draw in the second Test against Sri Lanka ensured India stay put in the fifth position, behind Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Bangladesh.
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