BCCI’s injury management bill hits ₹127 crore. Why BCCI is raising its CoE budget?

The BCCI has projected an expenditure of ₹127 crore for its Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru for 2026-27 as injuries among Indian players draw renewed attention. The facility’s annual report, accessed by aajtak, says 32 leading men’s team players underwent injury rehabilitation between April 2025 and March 2026.

The projected ₹127-crore outlay is nearly ₹35 crore higher than the ₹92 crore spent by the CoE in the previous financial year. The figure covers more than injury treatment: the report says CoE expenses also include administrative costs, courses and match-related spending.

The increase comes amid concerns about recurring player injuries. India captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir have raised concerns about the frequency of players breaking down and the impact on planning tours.

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68 players treated in 20 months

Of the 32 men’s players who received rehabilitation during the year, 20 were BCCI centrally contracted cricketers and 12 belonged to the targeted or India A category. The report does not state how many visits each player made to the facility.

Across men’s and women’s cricket, the CoE’s Sports Science and Medicine team treated or managed injuries affecting 68 players over the past 20 months. Most cases involved soft-tissue injuries, the report said. Rishabh Pant’s foot fracture — sustained during a Test match in Manchester in July 2025 — was identified as the impact-injury case mentioned in the report.

Injury management under scrutiny

Several prominent players, including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar and Prasidh Krishna, have undergone rehabilitation at the CoE. Some players, including Harshit Rana, Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy, spent at least four months at the facility during the past 18 months.

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The report also pointed to coordination concerns: the post of head of Sports Science and Medicine at the CoE had remained vacant since March 2025, and the BCCI advertised it only recently.

The CoE’s expanded budget therefore comes as the board faces questions not only about treatment capacity but also about injury prevention and coordination between medical teams.