BCCI reportedly tweaks selection rule, will not name players unless they are fully fit

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has come up with a new selection rule wherein they will only select players if they are absolutely sure about their fitness. The reported decision comes amidst criticism of their selection procedure which saw them include players who were not fully fit.

BCCI to include players who are absolutely fit

On Tuesday, BCCI announced the roster for India's T20I series against Afghanistan, but in a new move, certain names including Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana had asterisks next to their name. This implies that the board is not fully confident about their fitness.

The BCCI came under fire for naming injured players in their squad who had to be eventually left out because of their fitness. They have reportedly come up with a new system to deal with such players.

According to a sport media report, a source has opened up about this new rule saying, "Not just 100 per cent, but they want to be 200 per cent confident about a player's availability before releasing him".

VVS Laxman on BCCI's selection stance

BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) head and former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman also made the board's stance clear. "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", he said.

The 51-year-old then 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 the other players are who will go in their place if they don't clear the fitness test."

The India-Afghanistan series begins in Delhi on September 13, 2026. While Jasprit and Nitish are expected to be fit before the series begins, there is doubt regarding Washington and Harshit and the CoE reportedly does not want to take any chances.

For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.