Little respite for India’s World Cup men
HYDERABAD: ‘Workload management’ of the World Cup-bound India players was paramount for captain Virat Kohli before the start of IPL but most of them have ended up playing almost all the matches.
With three weeks left before India start their World Cup campaign on June 5, fatigue may not be an issue for the two-time champions even though everyone will be keen to note how the fast bowling unit holds up. The India skipper had indicated at the start of the tournament that if any of the players felt that they needed rest, they should go for it keeping World Cup in mind.
“If I’m able to play 10, 12 or 15 games, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the other guy can only play that many. My body might demand I play a certain number of games and I need to be smart about that and rest,” Kohli had said before the IPL opener.
It was easier said than done in a league where private franchises demand everything from their star players and it did happen that way.
Skipper Kohli, KL Rahul, Mohammad Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav played all their 14 league games. Vijay Shankar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar played 15 games. Shikhar Dhawan along with Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah played 16 (including the final on Sunday). MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma played 15 games each, including the grand finale.
The only person who played less than 10 games is Kuldeep Yadav, who was dropped by the Kolkata Knight Riders management after nine games due to poor form.
As far as others are concerned, Dhoni missed a couple of games due to a stiff back, Sharma was unfit for one game, Jadeja missed a game while Jadhav pulled out of the tournament after hurting his shoulder.
STAYING INJURY FREE
Luckily, India’s main players escaped injuries, which is a possibility over the course of such a long tournament, as experienced by leading South Africa pacers Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada, who are now racing against time to be fit for the World Cup. As someone who also leads from the front when it comes to fitness, Kohli knows what he is doing but like he said at the start of IPL, what works for him might not work for others.
“Someone else’s body might be more capable than mine or less, that is a very individual thing. Everyone wants to play the World Cup, so people will be smart about it because you don’t want to miss out on such a big event,” Kohli had said.
A batsman like Rahul used the IPL to hit top form ahead of World Cup but managing workload is always a bigger concern for the fast bowlers. While playing all the games do take a toll on the body, the counter argument presented by vice-captain Sharma ahead of the IPL final also holds weight.
“Like in Jasprit’s case, he is someone who likes to play games to make sure that he is in good rhythm. We spoke at any given stage, if he feels the need to rest, we were open for it. Anyone who plays the IPL and goes to a big tournament (like the World Cup) I feel it keeps them very much in touch with their game. Hardik is one example,” Sharma said.
KXIP physio Brett Harrop and Delhi Capitals scouting head Pravin Amre said the cricketers managed their workload like thorough professionals.
“They took a couple of days off whenever there was a window. They were wary of their niggles and made sure it did not lead to an injury. That precaution was always taken,” said Amre, who played the 1992 World Cup.
In case of Rahul and Shami, the KXIP duo preserved their energy by not taking part in a majority of the optional practice sessions, said Harrop.
“The players were given handouts from the India team physio and they were just following that. They played all the games and were match-fit.”