Team India physio Nitin Patel to be transferred to NCA - Reports 

Team India physiotherapist Nitin Patel is set to reportedly undertake the role of Head Sports Science and Medicine at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. According to Cricbuzz, the former member of the Mumbai Indians support staff is expected to complete the switch following the culmination of the second Test between India and Sri Lanka.

Nitin Patel was part of the Indian team as chief physiotherapist from 2007 to 2015. He worked with the Mumbai Indians from the first season of the IPL before quitting the role in 2019 to return to the Indian team. He was re-appointed as the physio of Team India in August 2019 after stepping down from the role in 2015 due to personal reasons.

The move to send Patel to the NCA was seemingly recommended by head coach Rahul Dravid following a slew of injuries that have taken over the team as of late. Deepak Chahar, Suryakumar Yadav, and Varun Chakravarthy are among the names that are currently on the injury table.

Dravid believes that the veteran physio's experience and expertise could be used at the BCCI facility, with the team looking to assemble a fully fit contingent for the upcoming ICC events.

Prior to the home season, the Men In Blue were inflicted with a series of injuries. The likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill were all absentees from the tour of South Africa at the start of the year.

BCCI has invited applications for Nitin Patel's role among many others

With the senior physio's impending departure, the BCCI have called for applicants in a bid to appoint a second physio, who will work alongside Yogesh Parmar in the senior team setup. The BCCI believe that there should be two physios traveling with the team, keeping the workload in mind.

The BCCI have also invited applications for a physiotherapist for the women's senior team, senior physiotherapist at the NCA, and four more junior and assistant physios for the second Test against Sri Lanka.

Moreover, the governing body is also seeking to appoint personnel for Strength & Conditioning department. There are six more vacancies in the same position, across the senior women's team and the NCA. Applicants will be required to work unsocial hours if they undertake the role. The BCCI have mentioned the same as part of the job description:

"Full-time with some unsocial hours including, evenings, weekends &, public holidays (sic)."

Team India administrative manager Girish Dongre has also been shifted to the secretary's office in Ahmedabad.