New Delhi: Sunday was an eventful day in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League.IPL). Not only did it decide the fourth and final team for the playoffs, it also highlighted how the workload for Toss has been managed. Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders were in action on the day of the double-header and the final day of the league stage highlighted how the franchises have (mis)managed Indian cricketers.Mumbai Indians finally decided to rest. Jaspreet Bumrah But the decision came two weeks late as the team was eliminated from playoff contention on May 10. It is worth noting that the bowler, as revealed by head coach Mahila Jayawardene, was nibbled on before coming to the tournament but was included in the playing XI from the start. As first reported by TimesofIndia.com, along with BCCI were in the CoE. And it can be confirmed that it wasn’t a back problem but a knee niggle that needed attention. Former BCCI Head of Sports Science Nitin Patel, who is currently with the MI franchise, accompanied him to Bengaluru. The 32-year-old joined the squad late and made his run-up after training with the team for a few days.Now the question arises, if everyone in the MI camp was aware of Nagel and the CoE visit, what was the rush to include him in the XI? The franchise took it too easy with Rohit, who missed almost a month of cricket with a hamstring problem and played mostly as an impact player, yet they kept India’s MVP on the park for 13 games, most of which were dead rubbers.BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia told TOI that the Indian cricket board could not “micro-manage” its workload during the IPL and chose not to intervene.“The BCCI cannot micromanage the workload and fitness of the players during the IPL. We cannot micromanage the workload and fitness of the players during the IPL, because otherwise, it would be interference by the BCCI in the functioning of the franchises regarding their teams and the activities of the players,” Saikia told TOI.
Varun Chakraborty of Kolkata Knight Riders celebrates with teammates at the wicket of Delhi Capitals captain Akshar Patel during the Indian Premier League. (AP Photo)
Not just Bumrah, even Varun Chakraborty played for KKR with a hairline fracture and skipper Ajinkya Rahane defended the decision saying he was cleared by the medical team.
Should IPL franchises prioritize player fitness over immediate performance?
“Look, our team physios and BCCINCA and Indian team physios, there was a discussion between them, I’m not involved in that at all, it’s their department. My department is what is the mentality of the player, whether the player wants to play or not, how big is the risk,” Rahane said after KKR’s last Cap League loss in Delhi.
Ryan Prag celebrates taking the wicket of Ishan Malinga of Sunrisers Hyderabad during an Indian Premier League match. (AP)
RR Captain Ryan Prague He also revealed that he was “definitely not fit” after the win against Mumbai Indians. He not only played that game but also played the eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday. Parag is on the BCCI’s list of targeted players and will deputize India A captain Tilak Verma for the tri-series in Sri Lanka next month.Arsdeep Singh even underwent an operation with “restrictions” in his body, as revealed by Punjab Kings’ Head of Sports Science Andrew Lipps.It is understandable that no player would want to miss out on an IPL game, but the BCCI, IPL franchises and key stakeholders need to align to ensure that Indian cricket remains a top priority. A few days after the IPL ends, several players will be off for various assignments. The last thing any Indian team would want is a burnt out and mismanaged cricketer
