Shubman Gill-led India are currently battling injuries ahead of the Sri Lanka Test series, which is scheduled to start from August 15. Notably, the team will be without three important players, Jasprit Bumrah, Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar.
Bumrah and Sudharsan were initially included in the squad but were later ruled out. The BCCI had made it clear that both players’ availability would depend on their fitness. However, their absence from an important Test series has once again raised questions about workload management and the injury rehabilitation process at the Centre of Excellence (CoE).
Former India captain Kapil Dev believes the BCCI needs to take a closer look at how much workload fast bowlers are being given.
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Speaking at the launch of the inaugural JITO Premier League, Kapil stressed the importance of domestic cricket and said players need to understand the impact of their workload.
“Playing domestic cricket is very important,” said Kapil Dev at the launch event of the inaugural JITO Premier League.
“One should know about one’s own body. There is too much T20 cricket happening, so you have to be careful about the toll it takes on the body. Our body is actually not tuned to being a fast bowler. Our body is more tuned to being a batter. The BCCI should look into how much workload can be given to a fast bowler,” said Kapil Dev.
More Injury Concerns For India
India’s injury concerns are not limited to Bumrah, Sudharsan and Sundar.
All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has also dealt with a number of injury problems. He suffered a quadriceps injury after reportedly adding extra pace to his bowling during the IPL.
Kapil also spoke about another concern for Indian cricket, the team’s recent struggles against spin bowling.
India have struggled against spin in recent years, including during home series against New Zealand and South Africa, where they suffered whitewash defeats.
According to Kapil, one of the reasons behind India’s struggles could be the lack of domestic cricket played by some of the country’s top players.
“The reason why Indian teams struggle against spin is that the top players don’t play enough domestic cricket. That’s where the BCCI should put its foot down and make everyone play multi-day matches. The other aspect is that the younger generation will get to learn from the top players,” Kapil Dev observed.
He also pointed towards the packed international schedule, particularly the amount of limited-overs cricket being played by Indian players.
“In recent times, India has not been the best against spin bowling. They play too many T20Is and ODIs. Test matches are a different ball game. I hope they can put their heads together.”
With injuries continuing to affect India’s Test squad, workload management and the balance between domestic and international cricket are likely to remain major talking points in the coming months.