Full list of injuries suffered by India stars in 2026: Latest updates with Indian cricket in a fitness crisis

Full list of injuries suffered by India stars in 2026: Latest updates with Indian cricket in a fitness crisis originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Shubman Gill flags fitness crisis after India’s England series marred by injuries.
• Several key players have faced fitness issues since the turn of the year.
• Sai Sudharsan has become the latest to be ruled out, missing the Sri Lanka Test series.

Shubman Gill sounds fitness alarm after England series defeat

India captain Shubman Gill has raised serious concerns about his squad’s physical conditioning after a string of injuries disrupted the team throughout their 2-1 ODI series defeat to England, admitting that players struggling to last even a three-match series point to a deeper problem within the setup.

Hardik Pandya, still working his way back from a back issue, picked up a quadriceps strain during rehab at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, throwing selectors into early disarray.

His replacement, Nitish Kumar Reddy, then suffered a quadriceps injury of his own, while Harshit Rana and Washington Sundar both battled hamstring issues at different stages of the tour.

The most damaging setback arrived just before the Lord’s decider, when Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out due to swelling in his left knee following an impact injury sustained in Cardiff. His unavailability hurt India badly, with the inexperienced pace attack unable to contain England’s batting as they piled up 387.

MORE: Explained: Why Bumrah missed the India vs England 3rd ODI at Lord’s

Speaking after the Lord’s match, Gill highlighted that at least five players from India’s original touring squad didn’t even feature in the decider.

“If you look at the first squad that we announced, at least five of the players did not play today,” Gill said.

“When one player gets injured, you have to play a different combination. If two are injured, you play a different combination. I think if a player is missing after every match (due to injury), somewhere we are missing a trick.

“If one morning you find out that a player has a niggle. And then it’s almost like, ‘do you want to take a chance?’ Someone is 80 per cent fit, you’re playing with five bowlers and if he bowls five overs and goes off the field, then who will you bowl? It is difficult. But somewhere as a group, we need to improve our fitness.”

BCCI/Creimas

List: All Indian players who have been injured since 2026

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli’s fitness troubles trace back to the IPL 2026 final in late May, where he suffered a hamstring injury that pushed him straight into rehabilitation. The issue kept him out of India’s series against Afghanistan, and his eventual selection for the England tour hinged on clearing a late fitness assessment.

Harshit Rana

Harshit Rana’s year has been particularly frustrating. He suffered a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee earlier in 2026 that ruled him out of the IPL and the Afghanistan series.

After working his way back into the side, he then suffered a fresh Grade 1 right hamstring strain during the third T20I against England in July. However, he has been recovering well, and the medical team remains focused on building strength, agility and injury resistance.

Washington Sundar

Sundar’s issue emerged suddenly during the first innings of the second ODI against England in Cardiff on July 16, when he pulled up with a hamstring strain while fielding.

He struggled while batting, and the BCCI medical team had little choice but to withdraw him from the squad. However, he has begun jogging and is currently conditioning at 17 kilometres per hour, with reported gains in strength, balance and overall body control. Intensity levels will rise gradually over the coming weeks, followed by agility and directional movement drills, alongside the introduction of skill-based training. No definitive return date has been set.

Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah’s issue stemmed from an impact injury to his left knee sustained while fielding during the Cardiff ODI. Although he completed that match, the knee swelled up overnight. 

According to Dainik Jagran, he reported to the NCA on July 30 after being withdrawn from the third ODI against England, having developed fluid buildup in his left knee joint. Doctors drained the fluid and administered a lubricant injection into the joint on July 20, following which he rested before arriving at the academy for further assessment.

During detailed testing, Bumrah reported discomfort while jogging, and single-leg movement tests revealed additional concerns, ultimately leading to his exclusion from the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka. According to the NCA’s findings, Bumrah will first need to steadily rebuild his overall strength and fitness base before skill-based training intensity can be increased, with no fixed timeline yet available for his return.

Varun Chakravarthy

Varun Chakravarthy’s injury proved to be the most serious on this list, sustaining a hamstring tear during the third T20I against England. An MRI scan later confirmed it as a Grade 2 strain, more severe than Rana’s.

Chakravarthy has made encouraging progress since arriving on July 20. He is currently bowling up to six overs in spot bowling sessions. His next phase involves bowling eight overs against live batters. Conditioning sessions have also gone well, with upcoming weeks set to introduce faster running, sudden directional changes and progressively heavier strength training. His return to full bowling schedule depends on how his body responds.

Hardik Pandya

Pandya’s fitness saga turned out to be one of the most damaging of the year. His troubles began during IPL 2026, when chronic back spasms forced him out of the latter half of Mumbai Indians’ campaign, causing him to miss four crucial league games even before international duty came into the picture.

After checking into the BCCI Centre of Excellence for rehabilitation, disaster struck again, this time in the form of a fresh quadriceps strain picked up during intense bowling drills as he attempted to clear his final fitness checks.

However, Pandya has shown encouraging signs across skill work, strength training and conditioning throughout his rehabilitation for a left thigh quadriceps injury. He had progressed to bowling at 80 to 90 per cent intensity, managing 12 to 15 overs weekly.

However, he experienced fresh discomfort in his right shin. Nonetheless, medical evaluations ruled out anything serious, though his running and bowling were temporarily paused as a precaution. He has since responded well to a renewed workload. Pandya has resumed running, and the NCA plans to restart his bowling program from August 10 to gradually build intensity from there.

Nitish Kumar Reddy

Nitish Kumar Reddy first felt discomfort in his left quad while bowling during the opening ODI against Afghanistan in Dharamsala.

Though he was rested for the second match as a precaution, he returned for the third ODI in Chennai, only for the workload of bowling through that game to significantly worsen the problem. Post-match scans revealed considerable muscle fibre disruption, which is a far more serious diagnosis than initially feared.

Reddy has reportedly moved into the ‘return to skills’ stage of his recovery. Last week, he bowled at 60 to 70 per cent intensity, totalling 16 overs, while also working on faster running speeds to prepare for higher-intensity bowling ahead.

Shubman Gill

Gill himself hasn’t been entirely immune to physical troubles this year, quietly managing a nagging neck injury that has affected his movement and comfort at the crease.

He missed the South Africa Test series in late December after hurting his neck in Kolkata, and since then, this issue has been niggling. Although he hasn’t missed a fixture in 2026, he had to retire early when he was 80 off 75 balls during the first ODI at Birmingham.

Aakashdeep

Aakashdeep is recovering from a lower back stress fracture. He is responding positively to his rehabilitation program and is currently bowling at 70 to 80 per cent intensity. He has reached a weekly workload of 19 overs, which will increase in phases going forward. Fielding and batting activities will also be introduced gradually.

Himanshu Singh 

Mumbai pacer Himanshu Singh has shown notable improvement in his right knee recovery. He began spot bowling at 50 to 60 per cent intensity from July 28 without experiencing discomfort. His bowling intensity and overall training will be scaled up if there’s no fresh setback.

Ashok Sharma

Among the more serious cases within this group, Ashok Sharma suffered sudden severe strain in his lower back following the third T20I against Zimbabwe on July 26. 

After reporting to the Centre of Excellence on July 31, MRI and CT scans of his spine were conducted and reviewed by New Zealand-based spine specialist Dr. Rowan. Results confirmed an acute stress fracture in the left L1 pars interarticularis alongside a fracture in his left 11th rib.

He is currently in the early recovery stage. Sharma requires four weeks of complete rest before a phased strength and conditioning program can begin.

Suyash Sharma

Suyash Sharma reported to the Centre of Excellence on July 6 with persistent right knee pain, as he could not bowl since the previous IPL season. MRI scans revealed patellar insertional tendinopathy affecting both knees. After an initial rapid return-to-bowling approach failed to produce expected improvement, he received a PRP injection on July 28. He’s now following a structured rehabilitation plan prioritising strength-building first, which will be followed by impact training. 

Yudhveer Singh 

Things are looking up for Yudhveer Singh’s right shoulder, with the pain having eased. His current routine mixes full-body strength work with exercises specifically targeting the shoulder, all geared toward getting both strength and overall movement back to where they need to be. How hard he pushes in the weeks ahead will depend entirely on how the joint holds up under increasing load, and there’s still no word on when he might get back to bowling or skill drills.

Riyan Parag

Riyan Parag’s road back from right shoulder surgery keeps moving in the right direction, with both his range of motion and strength coming along nicely. One clear sign of that progress: he’s ditched the sling entirely, a small but meaningful step forward in his recovery. With his shoulder responding well so far, he’s now moved into a proper strength and conditioning routine, though there’s still no firm word on when he’ll be cleared to pick up a bat, ball, or start throwing again.

Sai Sudharsan

Sai Sudharsan’s setback came during the India A tour of Sri Lanka last month, when he was struck on the right big toe and forced to retire hurt in the second unofficial Test at Galle. Despite scoring two centuries on that tour, the blow developed into a stress reaction in the metatarsal of his big toe.

The Tamil Nadu batter stayed back at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru for rehabilitation while the rest of the squad travelled to Colombo. Though he resumed batting and fielding drills, he felt pain again during skills work, prompting the medical team to rule him out of the two-Test series against Sri Lanka.

The Sports Science update noted that Sudharsan had shown significant improvement but that doctors advised more time for biological healing before a safe return to Test cricket. In his absence, Devdutt Padikkal, fresh off a century in the warm-up game, is set to bat at number three in the opening Test in Galle.

PlayerInjury / ConditionMatches Missed / AvailabilityCurrent Status & DetailsVirat KohliHamstring injury3 ODIs (vs Afghanistan)Sustained injury during IPL 2026 final; cleared late fitness test for England tour.Hardik PandyaChronic back spasms, then left quadriceps strain & right shin discomfort11 internationals (3 ODIs vs AFG, 5 T20Is vs ENG, 3 ODIs vs ENG) + 4 IPL gamesResumed running at Centre of Excellence; scheduled to restart bowling program to rebuild intensity.Nitish Kumar ReddyLeft quadriceps injury with severe muscle fibre disruption8 internationals (1 ODI vs AFG, 2 T20Is vs IRE, 5 T20Is vs ENG)Replaced by Suryansh Shedge; moved to ‘return to skills’ phase, bowling at 60–70% intensity.Harshit RanaLateral meniscus tear (right knee), then Grade 1 right hamstring strain3 ODIs (vs ENG); missed IPL 2026 & AFG seriesRuled out of UK tour; undergoing strength, agility, and weight management at Centre of Excellence.Washington SundarRight hamstring strain1 ODI (Lord’s decider vs ENG) & Sri Lanka Test seriesReplaced by Harsh Dubey for England ODI; currently in conditioning phase, jogging at 17 km/h.Jasprit BumrahLeft knee impact injury with fluid buildup & reactive swelling1 ODI (Lord’s decider vs ENG) & Sri Lanka Test seriesUnderwent joint fluid drainage/lubricant injection; excluded from Sri Lanka Tests to rebuild base strength.Varun ChakaravarthyGrade 2 hamstring tear5 T20Is (vs Zimbabwe)Replaced by Ravi Bishnoi; currently spot bowling up to 6 overs before progressing to live batters.Shubman GillNagging neck injury, thumb injuryNone (played through, retired early in 1st ODI at Birmingham)Managing ongoing neck discomfort without missing fixtures.AakashdeepLower back stress fractureUnder rehabilitationResponding positively to rehab; currently bowling at 70–80% intensity (~19 overs weekly).Himanshu SinghRight knee injuryUnder rehabilitationSpot bowling at 50–60% intensity without discomfort; scaling up training load.Ashok SharmaAcute stress fracture (left L1 pars interarticularis) & left 11th rib fractureUnder recoveryAdvised 4 weeks of complete rest before beginning phased strength & conditioning.Suyash SharmaPatellar insertional tendinopathy (both knees)Missed post-IPL matchesReceived PRP injection in late July; undergoing structured rehab prioritizing strength-building.Yudhveer SinghRight shoulder injuryUnder rehabilitationUndergoing full-body strength training and shoulder rehab; discomfort levels reduced.Riyan ParagRight shoulder (post-surgery recovery)Under rehabilitationSling removed; progressing through structured strength and conditioning work.Sai SudharsanRight big toe stress reactionSri Lanka Test series (both Tests)Injured on India A tour; ruled out for biological healing, replaced at No. 3 by Devdutt Padikkal.

(getty)

A wake-up call India cannot afford to ignore

The numbers here should alarm Indian cricket far more than any single scoreline. Pandya alone missed 11 international matches this year, while Reddy, still finding his feet at this level, lost eight games and his maiden UK tour before he’d even settled in.

These aren’t freak, one-off incidents. There’s a pattern of niggles turning into full-blown injuries, often because players return too soon or push through fitness tests that they clearly weren’t ready to pass.

When a team can’t get through a three-match bilateral series without losing five originally picked players, and when a key all-rounder like Pandya spends nearly an entire international window in rehab rather than on the field, something is fundamentally broken in how workload and recovery are being managed.

With the 2027 World Cup demanding a gruelling run of matches, India’s medical and conditioning staff need to urgently rethink how players are being managed across an already packed calendar.

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