New Delhi, July 20: India captain Shubman Gill has raised serious concerns over the fitness of the national team after an injury-ravaged campaign ended with a 2-1 ODI series defeat to England, saying the side needs to improve its physical conditioning following a succession of setbacks to key players.
India’s tour was severely disrupted by injuries, with several first-choice players unavailable at various stages, forcing the team management to repeatedly alter its combinations.
Speaking after the series-deciding third ODI at Lord’s, Gill revealed that at least five players from the original touring squad were unavailable for the final match, making it increasingly difficult for the team to maintain consistency.
“When one player gets injured, you have to play a different combination. If two are injured, you play a different combination. If a player is missing after every match due to injury, somewhere we are missing a trick,” Gill said. He added that uncertainty over players carrying niggles often leaves the management with difficult selection decisions.
“If someone is only 80 per cent fit and you’re playing with five bowlers, there is always the risk of that player breaking down during the match. As a group, we need to improve our fitness,” he said. Among the biggest blows was the loss of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the Lord’s ODI after suffering swelling in his left knee following an impact injury sustained during the previous match in Cardiff. His absence was keenly felt as England piled up 387 runs against an inexperienced Indian bowling attack.
Hardik Pandya also endured another frustrating spell on the sidelines. Recovering from chronic back spasms that ruled him out of the latter stages of IPL 2026, the all-rounder suffered a fresh quadriceps strain during rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, forcing him to miss India’s tours of Afghanistan and England. Overall, Pandya has missed 11 international matches this year.
Nitish Kumar Reddy, initially brought into the squad, also suffered a left quadriceps injury which worsened during the ODI series against Afghanistan. The setback ruled him out of the Ireland and England tours, costing him eight international appearances.
Fast bowler Harshit Rana’s injury troubles continued after recovering from a knee injury earlier in the year. He sustained a Grade 1 hamstring strain during the third T20I against England, forcing him to miss the entire ODI series.
Washington Sundar was another casualty after suffering a hamstring strain while fielding in the second ODI against England in Cardiff. The all-rounder was ruled out of the series decider and replaced by Harsh Dubey.
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy also suffered a Grade 2 hamstring tear during the T20I series against England. The injury has ruled him out of the upcoming five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, with Ravi Bishnoi named as his replacement.
Former captain Virat Kohli, meanwhile, battled a hamstring injury sustained during the IPL 2026 final, forcing him to miss the ODI series against Afghanistan before returning for the England tour after passing a late fitness assessment.
Gill himself has also been managing a recurring neck problem. Although the India skipper has not missed a match this year, the injury has continued to trouble him and even forced him to retire hurt after scoring 80 in the opening ODI against England.
The growing injury list has sparked fresh concerns over India’s workload management and fitness programme, particularly with the packed international calendar leading up to the 2027 ODI World Cup. Gill’s remarks are expected to intensify scrutiny of the team’s medical and conditioning setup as India look to prevent recurring fitness issues from derailing future campaigns. (Agencies)
