Team India had a forgettable outing in the Asia Cup 2022 as they were knocked out before the finals as a result of two consecutive losses in the Super-4 round.
Despite the poor campaign, the team has a lot of positives going into the T20 World Cup next month, the biggest of which is the top-order getting back among runs.
But before the Super 4 stage, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja suffered a knee injury, which was a major setback for the Indian team. It's unclear if he would be in shape to compete in the World Cup.
Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel had previously been forced to withdraw from the competition because of injuries.
Recently, KL Rahul and Deepak Chahar returned to the national side after being out of action for several months owing to injuries.
Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag pointed out one of the possible reasons behind so many injuries, which he feels no one is talking about.
“India's problems have been injuries that didn't happen on the cricket field. No one is addressing that,” he told Cricbuzz.
"Hardik Pandya got injured while bowling. Most of the players are getting injured at the gym or outside the match. We didn't see Jadeja getting injured on a cricket field. After the match, we came to know that he has an injury. That means the things that are happening outside or in the gym need to be addressed.
“Skills are important. Once you are in the Indian team and playing a series, gym is not as important as skills. If you have a two-month break, then fitness becomes important,” he added.
To further support his case, the ex-opener cited an anecdote of Sachin Tendulkar practicing for a game.
“I learnt this from Sachin Tendulkar. Whenever he came into the team, I never saw him lifting more than 6-8kg weights. I asked him, 'what's the point of lifting such low weights?' He replied, 'this is my maintenance. I've to play a match, I'm only doing this to keep my rhythm intact so that I don't lose my power',” he revealed.
“You see the players these days, Virat Kohli and others posting videos of lifting 50-60-70kg weights during a series, which actually increases the chances of injury,” he further stated.
The Men in Blue’s next big assignment is the home series against Australia, starting September 20.
(CRICBUZZ INPUTS)
