Overview
- VVS Laxman, speaking in Bengaluru on Sunday, Aug 9, 2026, called Virat Kohli an "exemplary professional" and said many young players seek to emulate his standards.
- Laxman argued the BCCI Centre of Excellence should focus on careful monitoring and player management rather than being blamed for the sport's injury toll.
- Multiple India players are carrying fitness concerns, with Jasprit Bumrah, Sai Sudharsan, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar among those reported as injured or subject to fitness checks.
- The CoE's Head of Sports Science and Medicine role is vacant after Nitin Patel left and Andrew Leipus withdrew, a staffing shortfall Laxman said complicates timely medical and sports-science support.
- Kohli's routine is described as about 90% steamed or boiled food with a shift toward plant-based eating and gym work that prioritises mobility, sprints, HIIT and plyometrics, and officials say that personal discipline complements institutional sports medicine rather than replacing it.