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KEY TAKEAWAYS: - Sunil Gavaskar has defended the BCCI Centre of Excellence amid India's injury crisis. - He said it is more important to be match fit than gym fit. - Gavaskar questioned the training programmes behind India's recurring hamstring injuries. Sunil Gavaskar weighs in on India's injury crisis and defends BCCI CoE India's mounting injury crisis has divided opinion across the cricketing world, with the BCCI Centre of Excellence bearing much of the criticism. Now, batting great Sunil Gavaskar has stepped in to defend the Bengaluru facility, while redirecting the scrutiny towards where he believes the real problem lies. The debate has raged as India navigates the Sri Lanka Tests without a lengthy list of injured players, including Jasprit Bumrah, Sai Sudharsan, and Nitish Kumar Reddy. With so many breakdowns, the physios at the Centre of Excellence have become an easy target for frustrated observers. Gavaskar, writing in his column for Mid-Day, argued that this blame is misplaced. He pointed instead to the nature of the injuries and the training methods behind them as the issue India must urgently address. MORE: 2027 ODI World Cup start date and final: ICC to honour Gandhi Why Sunil Gavaskar says match fitness matters more than gym fitness Gavaskar echoed the sentiment expressed by the Centre of Excellence head, VVS Laxman, who had insisted that the facility should not be viewed simply as a rehabilitation centre. The former opener stressed that the injuries occur on the field rather than at the CoE. He was particularly struck by the pattern of the injuries plaguing the squad, suggesting the root cause lay in preparation. Gavaskar wrote, "While Bumrah has a knee injury, it is seen that most Indian players suffer from hamstring injuries. Clearly, there's something wrong with their training, and that's why these recurring hamstring injuries." He was firm that the physios were being unfairly scapegoated. Gavaskar added, "These injuries happen when they are playing for India, but unfortunately, the blame is put on the physios at the BCCI Centre of Excellence." Reflecting on his own era, Gavaskar drew a clear distinction between being conditioned in the gym and being ready for the rigours of the middle. He wrote, "It is more important to be match-fit than gym-fit. But then, maybe I am from a generation that had different ideas on fitness." MORE: The greatest upsets in Test cricket listed: From New Zealand in India to Bangladesh in Australia Gavaskar questions India's bowling practice and biomechanics Beyond the fitness programmes, Gavaskar raised concerns about how India's bowlers are prepared in the nets. He questioned the modern practice of limiting bowlers to short spells during training sessions. The batting legend pointed out that bowlers are often restricted in the number of deliveries they can send down in practice, yet are expected to bowl far more in matches. He wrote, "The so-called biomechanics, where a bowler can bowl only so many deliveries in the practice nets, is a questionable practice." He implied that such restrictions leave bowlers under-prepared for the sustained workloads of international cricket. The argument dovetails with the wider concerns around the CoE, which has been without a permanent head of sports science since Nitin Patel's exit in March 2025. MORE: Srikkanth advises KKR to give up two key players in exchange for Pandya Why Gavaskar's diagnosis cuts closer to the real issue There is real merit in Gavaskar shifting the focus from rehabilitation to prevention, as it addresses the question everyone keeps sidestepping. If players are consistently breaking down with the same hamstring problems, the issue is far more likely to lie in how they are conditioned and trained than in how they are treated once injured. His match-fit-versus-gym-fit distinction is a pointed one, and it lands especially hard given India's players routinely bill themselves as among the fittest in the game. On the very day his column gained traction, KL Rahul was forced to retire hurt with cramps on Day 1 in Galle, a timely illustration of Gavaskar's point. His defence of the CoE is not a dismissal of the crisis but a call to look in the right place, and on that count, the game's most respected voice has again asked the question that matters most. For all the latest cricket news, opinion, and commentary and to share your voice, head to our Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) pages