Injury Chronicles: A curious case of Injury Management by BCCI and NCA

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) prides itself on its state-of-the-art National Cricket Academy (NCA). NCA serves as the epicentre for nurturing and rehabilitating the country's cricketing talent. However, recent developments in the treatment and rehabilitation of certain players have raised questions about the credibility of the BCCI's medical team at the NCA.

This seeks to critically examine the contrasting decisions, failed treatments, and prolonged rehabilitation periods that have left fans and experts alike questioning the effectiveness of the NCA's medical approach.

What’s the news?

Star India Wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul has been ruled out of the fourth Test against England. The 31-year-old player is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the NCA for a quadriceps injury. It’s more worrying that this is a similar issue that was operated on last year after he was ruled out of the IPL in the middle.

Contrastingly, in its last medical bulletin, BCCI revealed that Rahul is 90% fit. Meanwhile, after the conclusion of the 3rd Test in Rajkot, skipper Rohit Sharma also revealed that Rahul will be available for upcoming games.

Now, questions arise:

• What went wrong with 90%-fit KL Rahul?
• Where is the miscommunication?
• Is BCCI’s medical team equipped enough to treat senior athletes?
• Why are there contrasting reports of injuries to key players?

To answer and analyse all these questions, let us delve into the working processes of the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.

How does BCCI manage players' injury and rehabilitation?

Way back in 2022–23, almost every centrally contracted Indian cricketer paid a visit to the NCA for various injury treatments. Furious about these frequent injuries, India skipper Rohit Sharma expressed the importance of monitoring these players.

His demand was met by BCCI as they released a new directive for players and the medical team to monitor fitness and rehabilitation.

Keeping injury management in mind, BCCI took a decision and directed NCA to monitor players’ fitness for 10 months of cricket. While it was directed to keep in check with IPL franchises during the remaining two months of the IPL season.

The BCCI also asked all of its players to report to the NCA if they were suffering from any injuries on or off the field.

Curious cases of injury management!

Now, the biggest question arises: does NCA have the capability to treat Indian cricketers? The answer depends on the names of the players.

• Players like Rishabh Pant have regained their fitness levels a month before the estimated time.
• Meanwhile, players like Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, and Jasprit Bumrah have been struggling to do so.

However, the catch is that alongside NCA Pant, it is being monitored by an expert medical team from a well-known hospital in Mumbai, while others have been solely under the NCA.

From 2018 to March 2024, there have been various incidents of NCA fitness reports that turned out to be wrong in the long term for players, making them injury-prone. From Jasprit Bumrah’s undercooked comeback in January 2023 to Hardik Pandya’s almost two-year recovery phase, NCA has certainly failed to deliver effectively.

• Bumrah, who was declared fit by the NCA in December 2022, eventually made his comeback in September 2023.
• KL Rahul, declared 90% fit by the NCA in early February 2024, is unlikely to make a comeback before IPL 2024.

The most surprising and curious case is that of Mumbai-based batter Shreyas Iyer. Earlier this month, the right-hand batter informed team management, the BCCI, and the Mumbai Cricket Association that he is facing back issues and won’t be available for the playoffs of the Ranji Trophy 2024. However, the NCA medical team declared him fit and ready to play. It also stated that Iyer didn’t report any injury to NCA.

Why do players refrain from visiting NCA?

Similar to the case of Shreyas Iyer, India all-rounder Hardik Pandya is currently injured too. The Mumbai Indians skipper is currently training hard with Krunal Pandya and Ishan Kishan in Baroda. It’s worth noting that Hardik got injured during an ODI World Cup 2023 game against Bangladesh on October 17.

Since then, he has been ruled out of the contentions. Despite being injured, he is no longer reporting to NCA and keeps himself unavailable for selection. This raises questions about his fragile body and his intentions to play for India.

These are some cases that have been in the media, but there are many who have been facing issues of uncertainty at the NCA. The biggest example is Indian pacer Mohammed Shami. Shami, who is currently sidelined by the team management due to an ankle injury, has been reportedly suffering from it for the last two years. He has been playing after taking injections.

Now, who is responsible for this? Doesn’t he need to have surgery to get rid of it? Won’t it affect India’s combinations and participation in various series and tournaments? Is BCCI capable enough to ask Shami or NCA to get it treated?

In conclusion, it has to be admitted that:

• The lack of transparency in the National Cricket Academy and Board of Control for Cricket in India with fans and cricket has led to the deterioration of the Indian cricket system.
• The lack of credibility in injury management has forced players to reach out to the IPL franchise instead of the NCA.
• The world's richest board seriously needs to take decisive steps towards the issue that has persisted for the last six years.