NEW DELHI: The Men in Blue are on a high. The team has had a lot of success in the ODI format in the run-up to the World Cup. Experts have listed them among the favourites to win the big one. However, what worries the team at the same time is fitness. The IPL will be played before the World Cup. In the past, players have aggravated or picked up injuries during the course of the T20 tournament. Sources close to the team have indicated that injury prevention and fatigue management are two important things that players need to focus on in the coming months.

Former Team India trainer Ramji Srinivasan, who had been with the Mumbai Indians and last season handled the pre-season camp of Chennai Super Kings, believes the risk of injury during IPL is high due to workload. He says players have to take the initiative to stay fit before the World Cup. 

There are concerns about players getting injured during IPL, where the Indian team management has no say in selection. How big is the risk?

The concern is valid to a point, because of the workload. The risk of injuries is more because of the travel and odd timings of matches, apart from lack of sleep and recovery patterns. So fitness training has to be prudent. Players should not be pushed into a new regimen with extensive schedules. There is only going to be marginal improvement in fitness during IPL. The critical aspect is recovery, rest with good diet.

What leads to injuries?

It’s not carelessness nor laziness. Proper management by the support staff is important. Each player needs to be devised a special management protocol according to their skill set. It’s when players don’t follow these that they get injured. Clever execution of the process is the key to avoid injuries.

Why are fast bowlers more injury prone?

There are various reasons. One is wrong biomechanics in bowling or running. Lack of aerobic fitness, low flexibility, poor core strength and stability. Then poor balance and stability and not following the right training methods.

How knowledgeable are players about injury management?

Most of them know what they are getting into nowadays, with so much information available through various means. Each player has to give his best and avoid injuries. The support staff need to be quick on the uptake regarding the players’ needs and address it at once. More than the players, support staff need to be aware of the workload management.

What are the ways of preventing injuries?

The best way is to look at the match time table and devise a recovery and maintenance programme. Untimely travel is one of the major reasons for fatigue and niggles. These end up in serious injuries. It has to be preventive than curative. Fitness during IPL is just for maintenance of what each player has been doing. Introducing a new regimen or changing the existing one suddenly can be detrimental.