Traffic jam! BCCI CoE braces for influx of contracted target Indian players | Cricket news

(LR) Varun Chakravarthy, Akash Deep and Nitish Kumar Reddy are currently at BCCI’s Center of Excellence in Bengaluru.

New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in IndiaThe (BCCI) Center of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru is buzzing with activity as the institution prepares for a major influx of contracted and targeted players in the coming week.TimesofIndia.com has learned that nearly a dozen Indian cricketers are likely to be at the facility by the end of this week for various reasons. While players like Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Varun ChakrabortyHarshit Rana and Akash Deep are already there, will join them Washington Sundar and several others.It is understood Test hopefuls have been asked to report for a fitness assessment ahead of next month’s tour of Sri Lanka. Mohammed Siraj is expected to reach the facility this week and could be joined by Ravindra Jadeja. Targeted players like Sarfaraz Khan, Musheer Khan and Abhishek Porel have already undergone evaluations and the CoE staff expects many more in the next few days before the players turn up for their zonal teams in the Duleep Trophy.“Hardik has been training there, Reddy is recovering and Varun and Harshit are rehabbing. The team management does not want to take any chances with their players ahead of the Test series in Sri Lanka. Thorough assessments will be carried out and the selectors will be informed of their status before selecting the squad for the two Tests. The CoE has a good idea of ​​the players to target after the Red-ball tournament in Bengaluru,” said a source close to the developments.“The domestic season starts next month, so the target players should also be evaluated because there won’t be much time when the action starts,” adds the source.As this website reported on July 21, the Indian team is battling fitness issues in the run-up to the 2027 World Cup. The last thing management would want is more breakdowns before/during two key tests next month. Most of the players under contract are staring at a packed calendar that features a mix of all formats, as well as a long tour of New Zealand, which includes five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests.There are home series against the West Indies, the Asian Games and perhaps a tour of Bangladesh that precedes the marquee tour. The management wants a group of fit players because it will be necessary to keep different formations ready.