IPL 2023:
With big-ticket events lined up for the year, the BCCI could control the participation of Indian players in the IPL and NOCs for bowlers could come with do’s and don’ts.
In its review meeting on Sunday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided that the National Cricket Academy (NCA) will work in tandem with the Indian Premier League franchises to monitor the ‘targeted Indian players’ participating in the forthcoming edition of the tournament.
While the Board did not specify in its statement, Sportstar understands that this refers mostly to the pool of 20 players who will be rotated before the 50-over World Cup, to be held in India in October-November.
The decision comes after several key players missed a large amount of game time due to injuries last year. After taking charge as the president of the BCCI, Roger Binny had said that “players getting frequently injured is a concern, and we wish to get to the bottom of it all and see how it can be changed for the better.”
During the meeting on Sunday – attended by Binny via video conferencing along with secretary Jay Shah, head coach Rahul Dravid, NCA chief VVS Laxman and outgoing national selection committee chairman Chetan Sharma – the Board has decided to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the players, who are part of the pool, are well protected with the big-ticket event lined up this year. From NOC and Flexibility
This effectively means that BCCI can control the participation of Indian players in the IPL and enforce bowler clearances if they wish. However, Sportster is aware that the board wants to be flexible at this time regarding allowing veteran cricketers to participate in tournaments.
Rather, they, especially bowlers, should get enough rest during the IPL so they don’t have to do without an international quota later.
The franchise has yet to be formally notified, but some senior franchise executives spoken to by the publication said they “possible” to see if the players are doing well if formally contacted by the board. I will do what I can,” he said.
“We follow all protocols. Even before the 2019 World Cup, the franchise worked regularly with the BCCI medical team to ensure that the workload of players attending the World Cup was maintained appropriately. He will adhere to BCCI protocols this time around,” said a franchise insider.
An injury to Jaspirit Bumra before his T20 World Cup last year sparked debate over whether the Indian star should give his cricketer a chance to rest in his IPL.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri said resting India’s top players for a few games at the IPL was something Vinny needed to consider, but some of the former cricketers said they weren’t suitable. I felt it was important to strike a balance.
In the 2021/22 season, his 70 players, including his 23 on the men’s national team, visited his NCA with injury-related issues. This time, the NCA’s medical team presented a roadmap for workload and injury management, bringing renewed focus. I was given a yo-yo test and a Dexa scan. The IPL is scheduled to start in the first week of April.