India’s upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan will put the BCCI’s more cautious approach to player fitness into immediate practice, with Jasprit Bumrah, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana all selected subject to fitness, according to a report by Cricbuzz journalist Vijay Tagore.
Rather than excluding recovering players who could become available before an international assignment begins, selectors can name them conditionally while the Centre of Excellence (CoE) continues assessing their readiness. The approach also gives the selection committee clarity over which players may need replacing before the squad takes the field.
Afghanistan selections put new approach into practice
The three-match Afghanistan series begins in New Delhi on September 13, with Bumrah and Reddy both progressing towards availability.
Bumrah is expected to be ready for the series despite the fitness condition attached to his selection. Reddy, who has been recovering from a quadriceps injury, has reached the stage of bowling six to seven overs a day at full intensity at the CoE and is also expected to be available for the Delhi matches.
The outlook for Sundar and Rana remains less certain. A source familiar with the situation told Cricbuzz: “The CoE will not take chances.”
India’s second and third T20Is against Afghanistan are scheduled for September 15 and September 17 respectively, with Shreyas Iyer named to captain the squad.
Selection timing creates a rehabilitation window
India’s squads can be chosen well before players are actually required to travel or play, leaving the BCCI to make selection decisions while some candidates are still undergoing rehabilitation.
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia said during a media interaction that selection meetings can take place three to four weeks before the team’s departure. He said: “So if he gets picked within that period of 21 or 28 days, he will be taken into the team.”
This timeframe allows selectors to retain a recovering player in their plans rather than make a definitive decision based solely on his physical condition on selection day. Saikia continued: “So that is precisely why we do not outrightly reject him because on the date of selection, we are rejecting him because on that day he is not fit. But, by the time it will be effectively required for the travel or to play the match, by that time he may be totally fit.”
Fitness status becomes part of selection transparency
The conditional approach also brings a player’s rehabilitation status into the squad announcement itself. Instead of treating selection as confirmation that a player is immediately ready for international cricket, the BCCI can explicitly identify those who still need fitness clearance.
Centre of Excellence Head VVS Laxman said during the media interaction: “They (players) understand that they’re not yet ready to participate in the national series. It’s always player-centric and team-centric. So that communication is happening seamlessly. I think what the BCCI has done is there’s transparency in all the fitness reports and also in the selection.”
The process also enables selectors to prepare alternatives if a conditionally selected player does not complete the required fitness process. Laxman added: “At the end of the selection, whether it’s a release to the press, it’s clearly mentioned that these players are picked subject to fitness. Means if they don’t clear the fitness test, the selectors will know who are the other players who will go in their place if they don’t clear the fitness test. I mean, it’s basic common sense.”
Recent replacements shape more cautious approach
The increased emphasis on fitness certainty comes after several India squads required changes because selected players subsequently became unavailable.
Rana’s return provides one of the clearest recent examples. After spending five months out, the fast bowler returned for the Ireland and England tours in June but was ruled out less than two weeks later. He was unable to complete the England portion of the assignment and Prince Yadav was called up in his place.
India have dealt with similar changes across other recent tours. Bumrah and Sai Sudharsan were replaced by Auqib Nabi and Sarfaraz Khan respectively for the Sri Lanka Tests, while Suryansh Shedge replaced Reddy for the Ireland and England assignment. Ravi Bishnoi was also brought into the Zimbabwe touring group in place of Varun Chakaravarthy.
Against that backdrop, the BCCI, selectors and CoE are seeking a higher level of confidence before a player is fully cleared. The source added: “Not just 100 per cent, but they want to be 200 per cent confident about a player’s availability before releasing him.”
The Afghanistan series will now provide the next test of that process, with the final availability of Bumrah, Reddy, Sundar and Rana dependent on their fitness clearance.
