Former Indian Team Physio Nitin Patel reveals dressing room secrets

Former Indian Team Physio, Nitin Patel, who was an integral part of the dressing room since 2007 to 2015, recently shared his experiences with the star-studded Indian team and spilled some beans in the process. Nitin Patel currently is associated with the IPL team Mumbai Indians.

Patel is one of the unsung heroes of Indian cricket who has mended many career-threatening injuries with his magic touch. He was adept at handling several injuries at a time for many a player with a sense of calmness to him. However, he disclosed that it wasn’t easy for him at first dealing with the superstars of Indian cricket.

Patel shared that he had witnessed in several occasions players sobbing at anguish when they get to know about the consequences of their injury. He then emphasized on the fact that one has to leave their emotions behind to deal with such situations.

“I have seen international players breaking down when they get to know that they will be out of the game for a period. The stakes are high and many cry in anguish and it is then that you have to instil belief in them. You have to put your emotions on the side when you deal with an injured cricketer, be honest with him and tell him what is best for him. Trust is very important.” quoted Nitin Patel while talking to Sportstar at the IIT-K.S. Narayanan Centre of Excellence IIT-K.S. Narayanan Centre of Excellence.

Patel admitted that he was awestruck at first dealing with the Fab 4 and the likes of Kumble and Sehwag but it was Sachin who helped him ease his nerves. He then dispensed about the unique qualities of Ganguly, Kohli, Sehwag, and MS Dhoni.

Sehwag- the hilarious one, Dhoni- the quieter one

“There was Sachin, Rahul, Kumble, Sourav, Laxman, and Sehwag. I must concede that I was in awe of them at first. Sachin knew I was a little nervous. I used to spend a lot of time in his room, till 12 p.m. or one a.m. We used to talk on many things, not cricket but life in general. Gradually I felt at home.” stated the former Indian physiotherapist.

“Sehwag’s one-liners would have everyone in splits and Ganguly spoke his mind. Kohli is very good at mimicking others. He can mimic everyone, the way they talk, their body language.M.S. Dhoni was quieter. But when you go to him with a problem, you know he will back you.” revealed Patel. He then described that the Mohali Test match against Australia was one of the most challenging for him as every player had a niggle or too at the same time.

“There was a Test against Australia at Mohali where Laxman won a close match for us. All the eleven Indian players had injuries that were more than just niggles and I had to keep shuffling players from the physio’s table to the ground,” concluded Patel.