India Cricket Injuries: Amid a string of long-term and recurring injuries former India coach Ravi Shastri has slammed the National Cricket Academy (NCA). He also had no kind words for Chennai Super Kings pacer Deepak Chahar who is once again facing a recurrence of a hamstring injury. Shastri said Chahar has become a “permanent resident of NCA”. But India head coach Rahul Dravid is taking the matter seriously and is meeting the NCA chief VVS Laxman and Nitin Patel, the head of BCCI Sports Science. Dravid is looking at an overhaul after losing Jasprit Bumrah and Shreyas Iyer both to long-term injuries. Follow IPL 2023 LIVE Updates on InsideSport.IN.
“Let us put it in this way, there are quite a few players who have become permanent residents of the NCA. Soon they will get a residence permit there, to walk in any time they want. And it is not a good thing. It’s unreal. I mean you are not playing that much cricket to be injured again and again. You can’t even play four matches on the trot. Then why are you going to NCA for? I mean you come back and after three matches you are back there,” Ravi Shastri said.
Ravi Shastri has a point. Deepak Chahar was out for almost 8 months last year and missed IPL 2022 entirely. While at the NCA for a back injury, Chahar suffered a hamstring injury, extending his stay. But he has another relapse this time during IPL and is doubtful for the entire IPL 2023 now.
Shreyas Iyer suffered a lower back injury earlier this year. While he was not slated to return for the Test series against Australia, he was rushed. As a result, he had a relapse and is undergoing a surgery, ruling him out for 5-6 months. Ravindra Jadeja too had a tryst with injuries and the NCA. None of his planned rehabs has worked as per the timeline. It took him longer than expected to return to the fold.
However, Ravi Shastri has put the blame completely on Deepak Chahar for the recurrence of his hamstring injury. But Shastri is not alone. Earlier, Rohit Sharma was also annoyed with Deepak Chahar’s recurring injury.
“Make sure you return fit and come back once and for all. It’s damn frustrating not just for the team but also for the players, BCCI and the captains of the various franchises. It’s annoying to say the least. I can understand a serious injury. But if after every four game someone touches the hamstring or his groin you start thinking about what is actually going on. And some of them don’t play any other cricket. I mean it’s just four overs and in three hours the game is over. It’s ridiculous,” Ravi Shastri said.
Rahul Dravid meets VVS Laxman & NCA
Meanwhile, Rahul Dravid along with his entire coaching staff are meeting the NCA top brass. Dravid will discuss the workload management plan with NCA director VVS Laxman while he will also meet BCCI Sports Science head, Nitin Patel. With WTC Final and World Cup 2023 on the horizon, Dravid wants to avoid any other long-term injuries.
Dravid is not happy with how Nitin Patel-run Sports Science division is functioning. Team India have had a lot of injury problems of late and the likes of Bumrah, Iyer and Chahar apart from Jadeja have all suffered recurrence of injuries.
“Dravid along with batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, fielding coach T Dilip and the other support staff will be meeting the NCA team headed by VVS Laxman to discuss various issues related to senior team,” PTI quoted a BCCI source.
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