BCCI asks IPL 2023 franchises to ‘protect’ these Indian bowlers; here’s why
1 min read 28 Mar 2023, 12:44 PM ISTIPL 2023 franchises have been advised to focus on strengthening and training.
PremiumThe Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has asked all Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises to be cautious with their use of contracted players, especially Indian bowlers, to avoid fatigue and injury. The BCCI is particularly concerned about bowlers in contention for the World Test Championship final and the ICC World Cup 2023, hoping to prevent any further injury setbacks.
During a Zoom meeting with each franchise's trainers and physiotherapists, Nitin Patel, physiotherapist at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, and Soham Desai, Team India’s strength and conditioning coach, conveyed the message to avoid overusing Indian team bowlers in the nets.
Instead, franchises have been advised to focus on strengthening and training, with fielding drills allowed until the first week of May. After this, those players who are in contention can slowly increase their bowling time in the nets.
Also Read: IPL 2023 loses sponsors as startups, unicorns rationalise costs
The BCCI is monitoring several pacers, including Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, and Washington Sundar, and will contact all franchises again.
The NCA had previously shared the workload monitoring report of each India player with their respective franchises and asked them to use it as a guide for their reference.
Also Read: IPL enforces strict Covid measures in place, defies global trend
BCCI secretary Jay Shah had previously stated that the NCA will work with IPL franchises to monitor the shortlisted Indian players participating in IPL 2023, keeping in mind the men's Future Tours Programme and preparation for the ICC-World Cup 2023. This is especially important as several key players, including Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, and Shreyas Iyer, are currently undergoing rehabilitation after injury.
India captain Rohit Sharma was asked whether players would take breaks during the IPL, to which he responded that it is up to the franchises and the players themselves to take care of their bodies. If they feel they need a break, they can talk about it and take a break in one or two games.
