Indian bowlers, especially the pacers, are struggling with injuries lately.
Sharing his two cents on the same, former India all-rounder Kapil Dev said that bowlers have become so prone to injuries because of the extended season of cricket.
“Now the season extends to more than 10 months. The more you play the more injuries will happen. Cricket is not a simple game. One has to be athletic, use all the muscles and play on different ground conditions, the softness and the hardness. Adapting to everything is not so easy, it takes a toll on the body. So you crack,” Kapil said while speaking to Gulf News.
Jasprit Bumrah picked up a stress fracture on his lower back prior to the Asia Cup last year. On his return in the home T20Is against Australia, Bumrah went down again with the same injury, which ruled him out of the T20 World Cup 2022 and there is yet to regain complete fitness.
Mohammad Shami sustained a shoulder injury last month which kept him out of the entire Bangladesh tour. The worst of the lot is Deepak Chahar, who pulled his hamstring for the third time in 2022 alone during the tour of Bangladesh.
Earlier, all-rounder Hardik Pandya also struggled with back issues and featured in the team as a specialist batter.
“The more you bowl in the net, the more your muscle will start developing. Today, I am told, that the pacers are allowed to bowl only 30 balls. That’s one reason. When they take so much stress to play at the professional level, then the body starts cracking. They have to bowl more than anything else,” Kapil Dev further added.
On a separate note, the 1983 World Cup-winning captain feels that India have the team to win this year’s 50-over World Cup at home.
“Yes, we have a team, but there are other teams also who have the ability to win the World Cup. To win the trophy, you need a stroke of luck, right combination and top of that the main players should remain fit, that’s the most important thing. When they play so much cricket, injuries are going to take place and I hope when they get to play the tournament they don’t get injured,” Kapil remarked.