Shardul Thakur's groin injury raises questions on NCA

The National Cricket Academy(NCA) at Bengaluru is once again in the news for all the wrong reasons regarding the proper rehabilitation of players. India’s latest Test debutant Shardul Thakur, who suffered a groin injury during India’s Asia Cup campaign last month, once again finds himself on similar grounds.

Thakur, who debuted in the second of the two-match Test series against Windies at Hyderabad, had to leave the field after bowling just ten deliveries in his opening spell. As per BCCI’s official statement, the pace bowler encountered a groin injury and he didn’t take the field for the entire day and was declared unfit to take part in the action even on Day 2.

According to the Indian Express, it has been reported that Thakur

NCA comes under the scanner

This is not the first time that the rehabilitation facilities at the NCA have come under the scrutiny for their improper treatment of players. Shardul Thakur has encountered the same injury in a span of two weeks. Though he was cleared by the NCA and declared fit to take the field for Mumbai‘s Vijay Hazare game just after ten days.

A BCCI official questioned about his fitness, “Did he recover fully? How did he manage to get a clearance so fast? The groin injury is a fitness related injury and not an on-field one. My question is how did Shardul get a fitness certificate within 10 days of complaining groin soreness and then it recurs within another fortnight. Strange.”

Who is answerable?

The official even wanted COO Tufan Ghosh and Ashish Kaushik, to be held accountable, who look after the rehab of these contracted India players. A similar incident unfolded in the past when Wriddhiman Saha‘s shoulder injury wasn’t handled properly and the cricketer is away from the action since the Indian Premier League (IPL).

This is a matter of serious concern with stakeholders required to intervene if there’s something that is ruing the smooth and easy conduct of facilities at the NCA in Bengaluru.

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