Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy back-to-back injuries have put them under scanner over their fitness
Rana was found overweight upon his return and the extra kilos played a key role in the resurfacing on his injury
Varun, who will struggling with form in international cricket may be overlooked by the selectors after the Asian Games
Harshit Rana's hamstring injury in his first series after coming back from a knee surgery has raised concerns over his fitness regimen as top sources revealed that the burly fast bowler gained weight during his rehabilitation which probably contributed to the latest breakdown.
According to sources, the 24-year-old Rana was found to be "overweight" on his comeback for the T20I leg of the UK tour and was eventually ruled out due to the hamstring injury after playing just five T20 games -- two versus Ireland and three against England.
"Rana reported a sudden onset of discomfort in his right hamstring during the third T20I against England at Trent Bridge. Subsequent scans revealed a Grade 1 hamstring injury," the BCCI had stated in the release which ruled him out of the three-match ODI series where he was supposed to play a very vital role.
However, what must be a worrying issue for both Gautam Gambhir's team management and the national selection committee is why the fast bowler added extra kilos on comeback which he should have been able to reduce during his knee rehabilitation and subsequent 'Return To Play' protocols at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
"Harshit is a very important member of this team going into the 2027 World Cup. He is being looked at as a potential number eight batter along with his 140 click average speed. But he has to be mindful about his fitness routine," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
"Recently, when he joined the team he was found to be overweight. For someone, who bowls fast, if that player is found to be overweight then obviously the load on the body can lead to hamstring tear," the source further said.
Rana's injury is a clear indication that while he got fitness certificate after successful completion of his rehabilitation programme post knee surgery, he didn't focus completely on weight management which can be a tricky issue during long injury lay-offs.
During the bowling delivery stride and load up, a fast bowler experiences braking forces of up to 6 to 8 times their body weight.
Extra kilograms increase this force significantly, putting the hamstring muscles under severe tension In fact, another T20 specialist top-order batter had also been found to be a shade overweight when the team embarked on its tour of United Kingdom but that was marginal.
While Varun Chakravarthy was one of India's trump cards going into the 2026 T20 World Cup due to his prolific show in the lead up to the marquee event, batters from all major teams seem to have read him from the wrist now.
Playing with a fractured toe for Kolkata Knight Riders during the IPL didn't earn him any extra points and he was forced to miss the Ireland leg of the T20I tour since his rehabilitation wasn't complete.
However, within three games during the tour of UK, Chakravarthy's hamstring snapped.
"An MRI scan subsequently revealed a Grade 2 hamstring injury. Based on specialist medical advice, he has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe," the BCCI release had stated.
This led to concerns that Chakravarthy, who would turn 35 next month, returned to the competitive fold without being fully fit.
Since one had to name the Asian Games squad within a stipulated time-frame, Chakravarthy was distinctly lucky to get a look-in.
However, beyond that when preparations for the 2028 Olympics and the T20 World Cup in Australia start, Chakravarthy will already be 37 and there is high possibility that he won't be looked beyond this year's Asian Games.