Gautam Gambhir's blunt take on workload as Shubman Gill's injury reignites debate

Gautam Gambhir's blunt take on workload as Shubman Gill's injury reignites debate (BCCI Photo)

The word workload was heavily discussed when India last travelled to England for a gruelling five-match Test series. The focus then was on team's premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah after it was decided he will feature in three of the five Tests. The move drew criticism but it was done keeping his back injury in mind.

As India moved forward after settling for a 2-2 draw in England, the discussion also faded. However, Shubman Gill's recent injury on his neck has arguably reignited the debate. Gill is one of the very few Indian players, who has been consistently playing all three formats. And in the opening Test against South Africa, which India lost by 30 runs, the captain picked up a neck spasm, which has possibly ruled him out of the second Test in Guwahati, a must-win contest for the hosts.

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Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra, a JioStar expert, speaking during Media Day ahead of the second Test revealed that he had asked head coach Gautam Gambhir about the workload management, considering the rise in number of matches across all formats. Gambhir instead was blunt in his response, stating that they should "skip the IPL" to manage his workload.

"I asked this question to Gautam before the Test match against the West Indies. His point was that if you need workload management, then skip the IPL. If you don't want to lead because leading the IPL team puts too much pressure, then don't lead.

"And while playing for India, if you are fit, you are not mentally fatigued. And as a batter, I can also second the opinion that when you are going through a good form, you really want to maximise. Because you never know when the bad form hits you and where the next one is going to come from.

"So, if there is no fitness concern per se and if there is no mental burnout concern that is very individual-specific, you stay with them and you play as much as you can, as often as you can," said Chopra.