The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has called head coach Gautam Gambhir, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, and Centre of Excellence (CoE) head VVS Laxman to its Mumbai headquarters for a review meeting on Thursday, according to multiple sources. The meeting, called by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, comes after India's recent overseas defeats and will assess the team's performance and future plans.

What triggered the review

The meeting was originally planned after India's T20I series losses in Ireland and England in June and July, but was postponed because of the team's two-Test tour of Sri Lanka, sources said. India lost the two-match T20I series in Ireland 2-0 in June, ending a run of 16 consecutive unbeaten T20I series. India then lost the five-match T20I series in England 4-0, including a 125-run defeat in Nottingham that was their biggest loss of the series. India won the ODI opener in Birmingham, but England took the three-match series 2-1.

One source said the review will not be limited to those tours, adding that the tours of Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka will also be reviewed. BCCI president Mithun Manhas will attend the meeting alongside secretary Devajit Saikia. There is a possibility that T20I captain Shreyas Iyer and ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill will also attend.

Injury management in focus

Player fitness and injury management is expected to be a major focus of the discussions. The Centre of Excellence has faced criticism after several players suffered setbacks before important tours, with communication gaps reported between the medical team, players and the selection committee. There has been at least one instance where the selection committee was not informed that pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was not fit for a tour. Bumrah missed the Sri Lanka tour after aggravating his left knee injury; Washington Sundar was also ruled out, and Sai Sudharsan took longer to recover than expected.

Bumrah, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana were included in India's squad for the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan, but their participation remains subject to fitness clearance, with tests scheduled for September 9. Hardik Pandya's recovery is also expected to be discussed; selectors want him fit for the 2027 World Cup, but his bowling workload remains restricted, with the all-rounder reportedly unable to bowl more than five or six overs in an ODI.

Workload and the road to 2027

The meeting will also address how Indian Premier League workload affects player fitness. Team management has previously raised concerns with the BCCI about not having players available at full strength, and there have been instances of players playing a full IPL season but returning to the national team undercooked, according to reports. The board is expected to discuss how to keep its pool of fast bowlers fit and reduce the injury rate.

With India scheduled to tour New Zealand later this year — a tour that includes five ODIs, five T20Is and two Tests — and with the 2027 ODI World Cup in mind, the BCCI wants the coaching staff, selectors and the high-performance unit aligned on player workloads, selection priorities and preparation.

CoE's position

VVS Laxman has previously defended the Centre of Excellence, stressing that it is not merely a rehabilitation centre and that injuries are an unavoidable part of professional cricket. The CoE chief and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia recently held a 90-minute press conference detailing the centre's work.

Context: bilateral struggles despite global titles

India has won back-to-back T20 World Cups in 2024 and 2026 and the Champions Trophy in 2025, but results in bilateral series have not been consistent, especially away from home. This has put Gambhir and Agarkar under pressure from the board, according to reports. There have also been reported instances where the selection committee and the BCCI have not seen eye to eye, particularly regarding Rohit Sharma's ODI future.

The review comes as India prepares for the Afghanistan T20I series beginning September 13. Beyond immediate concerns, the board is focused on the longer horizon: the 2027 ODI World Cup, and the demanding New Zealand tour that will test the team's depth and fitness management.