Team India's backroom staff set for an overhaul? Details here
What's the story
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to review the Indian cricket team's injury issues in the coming weeks. According to timesofindia.com, the current management will assess the performance of physiotherapist Kamlesh Jain, who took over from Nitin Patel in 2022. This comes as India have been plagued by injuries and frequent player breakdowns over the past few months.
Injury impact
Injury concerns for Team India
The Indian cricket team has been struggling with player unavailability due to injuries.
Jasprit Bumrah is set to miss the upcoming Sri Lanka Test series, while Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy were also ruled out due to their respective injuries.
Washington Sundar is out of the first Test and remains highly doubtful for the second.
Sai Sudharsan has also been picked in the squad, subject to fitness clearance from BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE).
Leadership concerns
Gill, Gambhir express displeasure over frequent breakdowns
Captain Shubman Gill and coach Gautam Gambhir have expressed their displeasure over the frequent player breakdowns.
The duo has been forced to play without their first-choice squad due to availability issues.
Gill had said after last month's defeat at Lord's, "It becomes a little difficult when you come to the ground in the morning and find out that a player has a niggle."
Accountability concerns
CoE under scrutiny for injury issues
The CoE and head physiotherapist Kamlesh Jain are under scrutiny for the recurring issues.
The report added that the senior players are seeking opinions from specialists outside the BCCI setup. And some have found the transition from former Strength and Conditioning Coach Soham Desai to Adrian Le Roux "less than ideal."
A source tracking developments questioned, "These injury concerns aren't ideal because both the captain and coach have regularly struggled to field a full-strength Playing XI."
Potential changes
BCCI may consider alternatives
With a busy schedule ahead, starting with two Tests against Sri Lanka, the BCCI could consider different candidates for the roles of head physiotherapist and team doctor.
Jain and Dr. Rizwan Khan currently hold these positions, respectively.
The decision will depend on how well they handle the team's injury management during this challenging period.