Injuries Havoc for the India Cricket Team
Toby Marshall
7 February 2023Injuries are a cruel part of any game, they destroy careers and they can hamper the momentum of any side, and that goes for the India cricket team too. At times it can be just at the wrong time, as in Shaheen Shah Afridi getting injured late in the most crucial game of his cricketing journey. For others, it can be a long haul of patience and regret as they see their side underperforming while not being able to help.
Modern-day cricket requires consistency either in the form of team spirit and performances or individual health and mentality. In order to compete at the highest level, nations need to prepare in all aspects.
Team India on the contrary hasn’t been doing so well recently in this regard. India was smashed their way out of the T20 World Cup 2022 by the Englishmen in the semifinal, even though they had a great start in the group stage. The Indian side were missing their star pacer Bumrah and were caught lacking in the pace attack; which was a key aspect of the host conditions of the Kangaroos.
Jasprit Bumrah has been an integral part of the India cricket side in their success over the years and overworking himself was pointed out to be the main reason for his injuries crisis. The modern-day cricket schedule is more difficult than it was a decade ago. Teams like New Zealand and Australia rest their star pacers Trent Boult and Pat Cummins respectively, after a few games as pacers put in a lot more energy, especially during Test matches. Tests are long and rusty, and take too much effort from any pacer. Not being up to the standard and giving in too much to all formats can cause an injury at just the worst time. Bumrah was reported to be suffering from a back injury just before the Asia Cup 2022 and T20 World Cup 2022. Not only Bumrah but the absence of star players like Rishab Pant has also been a big concern for Indian Cricket Team.
The fierce Wicket-Keeper Batsman Rishab Pant hasn’t been fit enough for his side and Shreyas Iyer the young batting prospect has also been missing out on the bandwagon. Shreyas Iyer wasn’t available for the matches against the Kiwis and recently has also been ruled out of the Australian Test.
His fellow Indian, Rishab Pant has gone through Knee Surgery just at the start of this year. On 30 December, Rishab Pant was involved in a highspeed car accident that left the Indian Cricket Team Fans all shocked. Deepak Chahar also was a victim of the injury’s havoc as he missed out on half a year of cricket in 2022.
He also wasn`t a part of the Chennai Super Kings campaign for the IPL 2022. Ravindra Jadeja was a part of the Indian side at the start of the 2022 strive for the Asia Cup. The Left-arm All Rounder picked up an injury during the tournament and the knee niggle forced him out of the T20 World Cup. All this added to the already done damage to the preparation of the Indian side for the T20 World Cup. All this sums up that in order for Team India to compete at the highest level and keep getting those crucial wins, they need to manage their player’s fitness and health accordingly. The cricket world is growing and learning with every passing day. And national sides are introducing newer ways to keep their players fit for the all-important games. If all is done right, the team will be at its most strength for the World Cup next year once all the lads get together at the same time