Indian cricket is quietly preparing for some crucial changes as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) looks to fix issues that have started showing up, especially in red-ball cricket. The board is now fully focused on shaping the future of India’s talent system.
BCCI holds emergency meeting over Test cricket crisis; Centre of Excellence and red-ball revamp in focus
Alarmed by India’s recent Test defeats and systemic issues in player development, the BCCI held a high-level emergency meeting on January 9 at the headquarters in Mumbai. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia sat down with VVS Laxman, who heads the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
This meeting was attended by several top BCCI officials, including the new board president Mithun Manhas, vice-president Rajeev Shukla, treasurer Prabhtej Singh Bhatia, and GM Abey Kuruvilla. The aim of the meeting was to review what the Centre of Excellence (CoE) is currently doing and focus on urgent interventions needed to secure the future of red-ball cricket in India.
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The Trigger: A Mounting Red-Ball Crisis
The big topic during the meeting was India’s recent poor results in Test cricket at home. India has lost five of their last seven home tests. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand in 2024. More recently, India lost two home tests to South Africa.
The BCCI secretary has pointed out that the young players are losing their defensive skills. With the huge influence of the IPL and white-ball cricket, many youngsters are more interested in attacking shots and quick runs. As a result, the basics of red-ball cricket are being ignored, and Saikia feels this area needs urgent fixing.
Had a fruitful meeting with VVS Laxman, Head of BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, in the presence of BCCI office bearers today at Mumbai. Reviewed current activities and charted the roadmap for the Centre’s future course, aimed at further strengthening India’s cricketing talent… pic.twitter.com/nw1PibqDV1
— Devajit LON Saikia (@lonsaikia) January 9, 2026
Devajit Saikia was quoted as saying by PTI: “A lot of younger players are attracted towards white-ball cricket watching IPL. They watch newer shots like the reverse sweep being played, so all their focus is on improving their attacking game. We have to work to retain their interest towards red-ball cricket.
It was discussed that we need to improve their defensive skills, the art of staying at the crease longer. Areas have been identified. For implementation, we will have more meetings. There are reasons we are not doing as well in red-ball cricket. This was a soul-searching exercise.”
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Centre of Excellence Review: Identifying Critical Gaps
A major agenda point was the performance of the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, which is meant to be the backbone of India’s talent system. The CoE has been operational since April last year.
However, the Indian cricket board acknowledged that some very important technical roles are still empty, including the head of education and the head of sports science. These positions are crucial for shaping young cricketers properly.
The BCCI secretary said, “We thought it was an appropriate time to review the preparations and activities of CoE. We assessed the vacancies at CoE and decided to go ahead with the recruitment process soon. There is an acute shortage of technical personnel worldwide, but we are trying to fill the positions at the earliest.”
Fixing the “A” Team Pipeline and Calendar
The meeting highlighted poor scheduling coordination between the senior Indian cricket team and India A tours, leading to resource conflicts. They felt the schedule needs better planning because the India A tour plays a very important role in preparing players for the senior team and keeping the talent pipeline strong.
Saikia stated, “We are hosting matches in the three grounds there (including the ongoing Vijay Hazare). We also talked about how the A tours need to be scheduled going forward. In certain situations, the A side and the senior team are touring together at the same time. We need to ensure that there is no overlapping. A tour is an important supply line of cricketers.”
Addressing the U-19 System
India’s loss in the Under-19 Asia Cup 2025 final has raised doubts about how effective the Centre of Excellence (CoE) is in preparing young players. Before facing humiliation against Pakistan, the India Under-19 side also lost the U19 Asia Cup 2024 to Bangladesh and then the U19 World Cup 2024 Final to Australia.
In response to recent failures, the BCCI has decided to strengthen the Under-19 system by giving players more match exposure. The board plans to add more bilateral series and tournaments for the U-19 team so players face more pressure situations to prepare for big games.
