"Too much gym work and very little net bowling is the main problem" - Sunil Gavaskar on recurring injuries to Indian bowlers in recent times 

Sunil Gavaskar has lent his opinion surrounding the cause of recurring injuries to Indian bowlers of late. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Deepak Chahar have succumbed to injuries on a regular basis, with the latter recently picking up yet another hamstring niggle after returning to full fitness recently.

Workload management has been closely implemented to protect bowlers from injuries. Reports even suggest that the franchises have been dictated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to not let bowlers spend too much time in the nets.

However, according to Gavaskar, the decision to restrict a bowler's time in the nets might be the stem of the problem. The legendary batter wrote in his column for Sportstar while acknowledging a lack of talent in the pace bowling department in IPL 2023:

"In the bowling department, too, there seems to be a dearth of talent. While it is understandable that the T20 format is very harsh on the bowlers, the lack of much planning and thought when the batter gets stuck into them is a concern."

Gavaskar continued:

"As for the pace bowling, while there appears to be a couple of potential fast medium pacers, the injury worry over them is not something that can be overlooked. Too much gym work and very little net bowling is the main problem. The bio-mechanics experts suggesting that bowlers should not bowl more than 20 deliveries in the net practice is baffling."

Noting how pace bowlers in the past evaded injuries by honing their bodies and skills in net sessions, Gavaskar added:

"If the earlier generation bowlers didn’t break down, it was simply because they bowled so much in the nets and when it came to bowling in a match their bodies were ready for it."

The BCCI will reportedly give the green light to gradually increase the bowlers' workload as the IPL progresses. They might even use Duke's red ball in the nets, keeping the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia in mind.

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"That’s never a good sign if the batter aspires to play Test cricket" - Sunil Gavaskar on young Indian batters' inability to cope with the short ball

Gavaskar also pointed out the young Indian batters' aversion to short-pitched deliveries. The pull shot has been a problem area for a number of established Indian batters, and the issue has seemingly crept into the youngsters' techniques as well.

The former player wrote:

"Over the last few years, it has been noticeable that wherever there is a bit of bounce, the young Indian batters have struggled to cope with it. they find it tough to negotiate the one coming over the waist. The discomfort is palpable and that’s never a good sign if the batter aspires to play Test cricket where the field is also set to take catches and not just stop runs."

Expressing his disappointment with the manner with which the youngsters are approaching the game in search of glory shots, Gavaskar added:

The other disappointing aspect that’s been seen so far is that batters are looking for the glory shots rather than playing smart cricket. That can work for a couple of deliveries at best but then the bowler wins most times in the end."

How should the BCCI and the medical team combat the ongoing injury crisis? Let us know what you think.