Jasprit Bumrah will undergo fitness tests at NCA, confirms Sourav Ganguly
Amidst speculations that the NCA is not keen to test Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness, newly-appointed BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has claimed that the speedster’s fitness assessment will be done at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. Bumrah has emerged as India’s spearhead in the last two years. However, he has been out of action for more than two months owing to a stress fracture.
Bumrah wasn’t keen to train at the NCA during his recovery process from the stress fracture and hired his personal doctors and trainers. As per reports, Bumrah’s denial to train at the NCA didn’t go down well with Rahul Dravid, the director of NCA. Reports in the TOI further claimed that Dravid had visited Bumrah along with physiotherapist Ashish Kaushik and asked him to consult his own set of specialist doctors and trainers.
Speaking to the reporters, Sourav Ganguly said:
I am not aware of the issue. But Indian players will have to go back to NCA and we will make sure it’s comfortable and logistically easier. The NCA has to be the first and final point for International cricketers. it’s a place for Indian cricketers. Everyone has to go through NCA.
They play cricket all over the places year long. We will also try and see whether NCA physios can come and help Jasprit in Mumbai. We will keep the monitoring under NCA. We want to make sure there’s best people with NCA.
The 26-year-old Bumrah, the No.1 ranked ODI bowler in the ICC list, has been rehabilitating with IPL franchise Delhi Capitals’ trainer Rajnikanth Sivagnanam in Mumbai.
The former Indian skipper and the current BCCI president held a private discussion with Dravid during his recent visit to the NCA. It was in July when Rahul was appointed as the director of the National Cricket Academy.
There’s huge hope from Rahul. He’s been a tremendous player. You will get perfection and commitment. We will sort it out,” he said. “We have given Dravid the charge at the NCA to get it more organised. Ultimately, we will extend his role. I’ve spoken to him and the office-bearers. You will get to know the details in a week’s time.