Injuries to several Indian players have reignited the workload management debate once again. On the eve of third and final ODI series, head coach Rahul Dravid has said that key players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul will continue to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) until and unless there are any injury concerns ahead of ODI World Cup. As per Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) new policy, the workload of players in India's ODI squad will be monitored during IPL 2023 by the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
“Workload management is something that is a part and parcel of the game today.
“We keep reviewing these things. You will call the break we have given to some of our boys (Rohit, Virat, KL) in the T20 series as workload management,” Dravid said in the pre-match press conference.
“Injury management and workload management are two different things, we have to keep balancing the two based on what the priority is for us in the short term considering the amount of cricket we play and ensuring that we have our big players available for us in the big tournaments.”
During the IPL 2023, the T20 skills of targetted players will be assessed as well.
“In terms of the IPL, the NCA and our medical team is constantly in touch with the franchises, and if there are any issues or injuries we connect with them. Unless the players are injured or there are other concerns then of course I think the BCCI has the right to pull them out.
“But if they are fit we do release them for the IPL because it’s an important tournament. It is a very big tournament for the BCCI, in terms of our preparation for the 2024 T20 World Cup as well. It is important as it helps us assist the performances of our players in the specific T20 format."
Kohli, Rohit and Rahul have not played a single T20I game since India’s T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final defeat at Adelaide against world champions England. They have been rested for the three-T20I series against New Zealand as well in order to prepare for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which will commence on February 9 at Nagpur.
“You need to play certain white-ball tournaments in certain stages of time. Playing the four matches of the Border Gavaskar for a potential WTC qualification is important.
“There were some white ball tournaments we had to prioritise and after T20 WC. Virat has played all six games (ODIs). He will get some break along with Rohit and some of the other guys and then come back refreshed on the 2nd February for a two-weeks camp ahead of Tests.”
