The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly changed its approach to selecting players whose fitness remains uncertain. The move follows criticism after several injured players were selected for India squads but later ruled out of assignments. For the upcoming Afghanistan T20I series, Jasprit Bumrah, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana were listed subject to fitness. A report says the BCCI now wants to be extremely confident about a player's availability before naming them in a squad. The change is aimed at making fitness-related selection decisions clearer and reducing last-minute withdrawals.Why Did BCCI Change Selection Policy?The reported change is linked to concerns over how injured players have been handled during recent India assignments. The BCCI's Centre of Excellence and selection process faced scrutiny after players were picked despite ongoing fitness concerns and subsequently missed matches. According to a report, the board now wants near-complete certainty about a player's availability before confirming selection.BCCI is reportedly tightening fitness-related selection.Injured players may not be selected without stronger availability certainty.Afghanistan T20I selections include fitness conditions.Bumrah, Reddy, Sundar and Rana have fitness-related question marks.The approach follows recent criticism of injury management.Recent Fitness Issues Raised ConcernsFitness became a major talking point after Jasprit Bumrah and Sai Sudharsan were selected for India's Sri Lanka Test squad but were later ruled out while continuing rehabilitation. The situation led to questions about communication between the selectors, team management and the BCCI Centre of Excellence.VVS Laxman, who heads the Centre of Excellence, defended the existing process and said there had been no communication breakdown. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia also explained that selections can be made weeks before a series, meaning a player who is not fully fit on selection day could potentially recover before the match.Also Read: Hardik Pandya Comeback Faces Fresh Injury Setback Ahead Of Afghanistan T20IsNew Fitness Approach Takes ShapeThe Afghanistan T20I squad provides the clearest example of the reported change. Four players have been marked with an asterisk indicating that their selection is subject to fitness. The board is reportedly seeking what a source described as being “200 percent” confident about a player's availability before finalising selections.This does not necessarily mean injured players will never be considered. Instead, the new approach appears focused on making their fitness status explicit and ensuring replacements can be identified if they fail to recover. The BCCI has also said that selection conditions are being clearly communicated when fitness remains uncertain.Key HighlightsBCCI has reportedly tightened its approach to fitness-related selections.The change follows criticism surrounding injured players in recent squads.Jasprit Bumrah and Nitish Kumar Reddy are among the Afghanistan squad members listed subject to fitness.Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana also have fitness-related conditions.The board wants greater certainty about player availability before selection.BCCI officials have defended transparency in communication between selectors and its Centre of Excellence.BCCI Focuses On Fitness ClarityThe reported policy change reflects the BCCI's effort to avoid confusion surrounding injured players and their availability for India. Rather than treating selection and fitness as separate issues, the board is placing greater emphasis on confirming whether players can actually take part in an upcoming assignment.For Indian cricket, the approach could provide greater clarity for selectors, players and fans when squads are announced well before a series. The Afghanistan T20I selection will offer an early indication of how this fitness-focused process works in practice.Disclaimer: This article is provided for knowledge and news-information purposes only. The reported policy change is based on media reports and statements available at the time of publication; the BCCI may issue further clarification.
