Indian Premier League (IPL) is less than 10 days away and the BCCI will not be leaving any stone unturned with regard to the fitness of the Indian players in what is a very crucial year for Indian cricket. Right after the IPL, India will be locking horns with Australia in the World Test Championship final and will then hit the road for the ODI World Cup. As per the reports of CricketNext, BCCI has already instructed the NCA to keep a close watch on India Test and ODI regulars and monitor their workload right through the IPL.
One of the sources of News18 said, “It’s very clear. It’s a very crucial year and we don’t want any last minute injuries. All stakeholders have been informed that under no circumstances (will) a player be rushed to play IPL fixtures. If anyone is carrying an injury or niggle, the BCCI medical team and NCA will monitor.”
The long home season for Team India ended with a loss in the three-match ODI series against Australia. Most players will now enjoy some much-needed break before joining their respective franchises for the IPL 2023 which begins 31st March. For players, who were part of both Test and ODI squads for the Australia series, there has been very little recovery time. Unlike the previous few editions, this IPL season will see a lot of traveling and more matches after two new teams were introduced last year.
Jasprit Bumrah is already missing from action since his last game in September last year and Shreyas Iyer’s back injury has come as the latest blow in a World Cup year. Even now, there is no clarity over his participation in the Indian Premier League, and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper is likely to miss some part of the tournament.
Talking about the same, the BCCI official said, “Shreyas is being constantly monitored by the physios of the BCCI and he too will not be rushed for the IPL until and unless he gets the necessary clearances and completes his recovery. Not just Shreyas, any player carrying any niggle or injury will continue to be monitored by the BCCI.”
As News18 CricketNext had reported on March 22, Bumrah is on the long road to rehab with the World Cup as the priority. A similar approach is expected from middle-order batsman Iyer. The likes of Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj did the bulk of the bowling during Australia’s tour of India and are likely to do the same for their respective franchises. The two will again be expected to play a prominent role in the WTC final and the 50-over World Cup.
The BCCI wants to avoid last-minute injuries or breakdowns ahead of the ODI World Cup later this year. Ravindra Jadeja’s freak injury ahead of the T20 World Cup last year is still fresh in the senior officials’ minds and they don’t want any such scenarios which affect the balance of the side before a big ICC tournament.
