BCCI struggling to find new head of Sports Science for CoE

The Centre of Excellence in the Garden City has been without a head of Sports Science and Medicine for nearly eight months, since it parted ways with Nitin Patel.

There has been a lot of focus on the injury management of several Indian cricketers in the last few weeks, with the finger of blame unfairly pointed at the CoE. VVS Laxman, the head of the CoE, and Devajit Saikia, the secretary of the BCCI, emphasised that the objective wasn’t to fill the Patel hole in a hurry, but to find a qualified and experienced replacement who understood the demands of the role. amunra-opinie.pl

“We are still on the lookout,” Laxman, the India stalwart whose tenure is due to end in December, emphasised during an interaction on Sunday. “But you have to find someone who is qualified and capable enough to take up that position.

Candidates pull out

“Andrew [Leipus, the former Indian physio who was also with the CoE] was part of the interview process when Nitin was selected in 2022. We reached out to Andrew [to replace Patel] the moment we got to know that Nitin didn’t want to continue. Andrew almost agreed and then backed out. The second interview process was an extensive one. The first choice was from Australia, but he also backed out at the last minute. The second and third candidates are already working at the CoE. It is our responsibility to upskill them while looking to identify someone of stature and experience and knowledge.”

Limited options available

Saikia read from the same page when he added, “They are very limited persons, not only in India but across the world. Therefore, we are facing some problems. But the process is on to find the right candidate.”

Outlining the CoE’s injury-management protocol, Laxman said, “The process starts with diagnosing the injury and finishes with a player declaring fit after the two RTP [Return To Play] matches. After diagnosis, players are sent to the CoE. We clinically examine and assess them. Based on that assessment, we know what the plan of action is for them to recover and join the team.

“Once the player is ready for the next phase, which is strength and conditioning, the S&C coach plays their part. Then they go to the skill part; we build up the load, and they play two RTP matches before we declare the player fit. We know the benchmark of every player, from skill and fitness points of view. Until the benchmark is met or bettered, we don’t release the player. The whole idea is that when they go back to their respective teams, they are up and running.”

Ravindra Jadeja’s mimicry of Kuldeep Yadav has gone viral on social media. Now, what needs to go viral over the next two weeks is Kuldeep’s performance.

There has never been any doubt about Kuldeep’s talent. But his career has been a stop-start one. Has he been given the opportunities he deserves? Perhaps not. Yet he has stayed the course and persevered. That is the quality one should look for in a sportsperson, and it is a quality Kuldeep has displayed in abundance.

The day before yesterday, I was in conversation with distinguished banker and corporate leader Shyam Srinivasan at the launch of his book at the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta. Shyam was asked what one piece of advice he would give the students in attendance. Interestingly, he told them to simply show up. Not every day will be a good one, and not every day will bring success. In fact, there will be far more days of disappointment than triumph. Yet all you need to do is keep showing up. That, according to Shyam, is the mantra for success, and it is exactly what we have seen from Kuldeep.

I met Kuldeep a few weeks ago at Lord’s. He had just finished training and was walking back from the Nursery Ground. He has always been a good friend, so it was only natural that we would stop for a chat. Spotting me standing beneath the Media Centre, Kuldeep walked over with a smile and said, “Dada, kaise ho [How are you]? Look at the colour of your shoes!” I was wearing purple trainers. Then he said three words that have stayed with me: “Laga hua hoon [I’m keeping at it].”

Kuldeep does not decide whether he makes the playing XI. That is not in his hands. He is neither the captain nor the coach. What is in his control is to keep showing up, day after day, and be ready whenever the opportunity presents itself. And when that chance comes, make it count.

In Sri Lanka, Kuldeep is almost certain to get his opportunity. On pitches expected to assist spin, he could well be India’s go-to bowler. If India are to stay alive in the World Test Championship race, Shubman Gill and his team need to win this series, and Kuldeep could prove to be their trump card. He knows that better than anyone and will be raring to go.

Kuldeep’s love for football is well known. He once attended a Mohun Bagan versus East Bengal match in Kolkata and watched every game of the FIFA World Cup. He even harbours an ambition of becoming a football coach after retirement. To use a football reference, he is a lot like Vozinha. Opportunities do not come along too often, and when they do, they must be seized. Vozinha did exactly that and earned a place in the FIFA World Cup Team of the Tournament.

Back in 2019, Ravi Shastri identified Kuldeep as India’s go-to spinner in Test cricket. Things have not unfolded as expected since then, and he has spent far too many matches on the sidelines. Can Kuldeep finally turn the corner and establish himself as India’s lead spinner in Sri Lanka? If he does, it could define not only his own journey but India’s fortunes in the series.

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Vaibhav Tripathi, Colombo

At the end, when the practice game came to an end, a certain Gautam Gambhir was seen smiling and laughing with Sitanshu Kotak and Sairaj Bahutule. Even the players looked in a jovial mood after defeating SLC XI in the practice match at the NCC. The way India played gave the team management plenty to smile about, especially on the last day, with Shubman Gill coming out to bat after being on the sidelines for two days. All the chatter around the Indian captain’s fitness was swept away once he batted in the middle without any sort of discomfort. Devdutt Padikkal’s century, along with the all-round brilliance of Ravindra Jadeja and Manav Suthar, meant Team India took plenty of positives from the game.

For India, more than individual performances, the main objective was to adapt to the conditions. Apart from Jadeja, KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav, no other player had come to Sri Lanka for a Test series. Adaptability was the main objective of the game, as confirmed by Bahutule.

“Preparation is part of any tour. The reason for us to come at this juncture is to make sure we adapt to the conditions and understand what the pitches are like,” Bahutule said at the post-match press conference. “A few guys have come here, but for the new guys, they need to adapt. This helps in our preparation for the Galle Test. I think they used the practice match brilliantly.”

Before coming out to bat in the middle, Gill spent more than an hour in the nets. First, he faced throwdowns and then some spin. Once he was done, he had a look at his right hand. But not once did he check his right hand after opening the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Bahutule was quick to dismiss any concerns over Gill, saying the Indian captain was absolutely fine.

“It was just a precaution more than anything else,” Bahutule clarified regarding Gill’s injury. “He’s absolutely fine. The management decided that we should take the precaution of not putting him in on the first day. The way he batted in the second innings was flawless, and he’s very much ready for the Test match.”

A couple of drives through the off side to start his innings, followed by a straight drive and a pull shot in front of square, saw Gill bat flawlessly. The rest he got helped him recover from the blow to his right hand. He was seen experiencing some discomfort while fielding earlier in the day, but by the evening, any concerns had been erased.

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Guwahati (Assam) [India], August 10 (ANI): Nagaon Rangers registered their first win of the tournament courtesy a commanding batting display to beat Charaideo Sunrisers by 10 wickets in match number 18 of the Assam Premier League (APL) 2026 at the ACA Stadium, Guwahati on Sunday.

Soumyadeep Das and Sumit Kashyap put on an exquisite batting performance to see their side home and also register the tournament’s first ten-wicket win. With the ball, Bhargav Dutta led a disciplined effort with three wickets to restrict Sunrisers after Hrishikesh Tamuli’s fighting knock, according to a release.

Opting to field first, Nagaon Rangers struck early, removing Pradyun Saikia off the second ball of the contest. Sumit Ghadigaonkar fell soon after for 8, leaving Charaideo Sunrisers in a spot of bother at 32/2 inside the powerplay. Hrishikesh then held the innings together with a well-made 40 off 36 balls, keeping the scoreboard ticking despite wickets falling around him.

A late flourish from Himanshu Saraswat, who scored an unbeaten on 26 off just 13 balls with three sixes, helped Charaideo Sunrisers post 139/9 in their 20 overs. For Rangers, Bhargav Dutta finished with 3/18, while Rahul Singh, Sunil Lachit and Jitu Ali picked up two wickets apiece.

In the run chase, Rangers openers took complete control of the contest, never giving the Sunrisers bowlers a sniff. Sumit and Soumyadeep took the bowling attack apart from the outset, with the latter being the more explosive of the two. He scored an unbeaten 70 off just 36 balls with five fours and six sixes, while Kashyap registered an unbeaten 66 off 44 balls, also studded with a couple of boundaries and six maximums.

None of the six Sunrisers’ bowlers could find a breakthrough, as Rangers chased down the target rather comfortably in 13.2 overs to complete a dominant ten-wicket win – their first of the season, and the first ten-wicket win recorded in this year’s Assam Premier League.

Brief Scores:

Nagaon Rangers beat Charaideo Sunrisers by 10 wickets.

Charaideo Sunrisers: 139/9 in 20 overs (Hrishikesh Tamuli 40, Himanshu Saraswat 26*; Bhargav Dutta 3/18, Rahul Singh 2/16, Sunil Lachit 2/23).

Nagaon Rangers: 140/0 in 13.2 overs (Soumyadeep Das 70*, Sumit Kashyap 66*). (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

India vs Sri Lanka 2026 1st Test: Shubman Gill’s Team India will begin a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka in Galle on Saturday. The visitors warmed up in style for the first Test with a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka Cricket XI in a three-day warm-up match at the Nondescripts Cricket Club (NCC) ground in Colombo. But there are some injury concerns for Gill’s side ahead of the first Test.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav is the lead specialist spinner selected by the Indian selectors for the series against Sri Lanka. The 31-year-old left-arm wrist spinner has claimed 79 wickets in 18 Tests at an average of 22.35 with 5 five-wicket hauls to his name.

But after claiming 2 for 76 in the first innings of SLC XI in 18 overs on the opening day, Kuldeep didn’t bowl a single over in the second innings on Sunday. But Team India spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule clarified that there were no injury concerns over Kuldeep Yadav and the chinaman bowler was on ‘assessing his body’.

“Kuldeep bowled almost 20 overs in the sense 18 in the match and about two-three overs before the game also. He had a very good outing and he just wanted to take a break in terms of just understanding how his body is at,” Bahutule said at the end of warm-up match in Colombo on Sunday.

Apart from Kuldeep Yadav, the Indian squad have a couple of left-arm spinners in all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Manav Suthar and a off-spinner in Saransh Jain. But apart from Jadeja, other spinners have very little experience in the longest format of the game.

“Manav bowled about 14-15 overs, Jaddu bowled about 14-15 overs. So, they got a very good outing, they understood how the pitch reacts and I think it was a great prep for them,” he said.

#1 All-rounder for a reason.

Ravindra Jadeja can bat, bowl, field, and apparently, crack Gautam Gambhir too.

Watch Day 3 of SLC XI vs #TeamIndia tomorrow, 10 AM onwards, LIVE on Sony Sports Network TV channels & Sony LIV.#SonySportsNetwork #SonyLIV pic.twitter.com/TWbJzVPEed

— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) August 8, 2026

Former India leg-spinner Bahutule said that the surface at NCC in Colombo started to offer turn as the match progressed. “The bowlers had a great opportunity to go down and express themselves on a pitch which was slightly on a flatter side in the first day. But as the days went by, there was more turn on to it and definitely a good outing for the spinners,” Bahutule said.

Team India were satisfied with the outcome of the warm-up game as they wanted to get accustomed to conditions in Sri Lanka.

“Most of the guys have come here, experienced guys, Jaddu has already played here. But the new guys like Manav and a few others, Saransh Jain, they need to just adapt to what will be the ideal lines, what will be the ideal lengths and obviously the field sets, which is very much important,” Bahutule felt.

Shubman Gill is absolutely fine: Sairaj Bahutule

Team India captain Shubman Gill chose not to bat in the first innings of the warm-up match after getting hit on the hand in a practice session ahead of the game. But Bahutule revealed that resting Gill was just a ‘precaution’.

“It was just a precaution more than anything else. And he has been absolutely fine. He has been doing his training. And the management decided that we could just take that precaution of not putting him into that first day,” Bahutule said.

“Shubman takes his preparation very seriously. And he is a very meticulous boy. And he understands that whatever is the demand for that particular series with the attack, which has been successful for the Sri Lankan team. His preparation is done accordingly,” he added, praising Gill.

The Indian captain came out to bat in the second innings, chasing 207 to win, and scored 44 off 54 balls to lead the chase in a six-wicket win.