The new Centre of Excellence of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may face a setback as the head of its Sports Science wing has decided to move on. Nitin Patel, who has been responsible for overseeing injury and workload management and rehabilitating both international and domestic cricketers, will be leaving the newly-created facility in Bengaluru soon.
If sources are to be believed, Patel, a former India and Mumbai Indians physio, is currently serving his notice period and could exit the Bengaluru centre - formerly the National Cricket Academy (NCA) - by the end of this month. It is understood that the BCCI will be coming out with an advertisement to find a replacement
Patel, who currently reports directly to VVS Laxman, the head of the Centre of Excellence, was responsible for several important areas, particularly workload management and the rehabilitation of international cricketers. Since joining the NCA/Centre of Excellence in April 2022, he has personally overseen the recovery and management of key international players.
During his three-year tenure, Patel supervised several international players, including Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul, among others. Until recently, he was overseeing the rehabilitation of Mohammed Shami, who made a remarkable return to international cricket during the Champions Trophy after nearly 15 months out. At present, it is believed that he is managing the rehab of Bumrah, who has been sidelined from competitive cricket since January.
Patel was the first appointee by the BCCI to head the newly created Sports Science wing. With players frequently dealing with injuries, the BCCI created the centre, which is also being called a high-performance centre. It was a dream project of former BCCI secretary Jay Shah and Patel was a vital functionary in the facility, which was inaugurated last September.
The general impression among the BCCI officials is that both the Sports Science division and Patel have been doing a commendable job. The BCCI's top officials certainly share this view. One standout achievement of the Centre and the wing was getting players like Shreyas Iyer and Jasprit Bumrah fully prepared for the 2023 World Cup.
Both underwent timely surgeries in New Zealand and England respectively, and their return to the Indian team was managed with remarkable planning and precision. Bumrah and Iyer played crucial roles in India's nearly successful campaign. Another feature of the NCA was coordination with the Indian team and then-head coach Rahul Dravid was fully involved in the whole process of injury, workload and rehab management.
The reason for his sudden decision to leave the BCCI, however, is not known but Patel is believed to have submitted his papers. Cricbuzz has reached out to Laxman and Patel.