Mushtaq Ali T20: Karnataka state team gearing up in isolation

BENGALURU: As players prepare for the first domestic competition of the deferred season opener –

Syed Mushtaq Ali T20

tournament, which begins on January 10, the

Karnataka coaches

and support staff are busy preparing the schedule for the players during the isolation period.


According to the BCCI schedule, the players assemble at various league matches venue on January 2 and undergo a six-day quarantine when they will be subjected to Covid-19 tests thrice. Before the start of the tournament, the teams will be allowed two days of practice.

While players who were part of the Indian Premier League in the UAE a couple of months ago have experienced the bio-bubble, it will be a new experience for the rest.

Defending champions Karnataka, who are in Group A, will play all their matches at the KSCA Alur stadium on the outskirts of the city and will stay in a luxury resort close by, with single occupancy being the norm.

The Karnataka team management has worked out a schedule to keep the players fit physically and mentally during this period. The champion team’s coach Yere Goud pointed out that it was important to ensure the players are not mentally fatigued before the competition.

“Since it will be a first-time experience for the players, we have chalked out a detailed schedule for the players,” he said.

“As coaches and support staff, we will utilise the time to go through the videos of the opponents in terms of their previous scoring pattern, how they play the new ball, death overs and other variations. We will then have specialised online meetings with the bowlers and batsmen. So, when they begin practice again on January 8, everyone is on the same page and knows what is expected off them,” added the former batsman.

Outlining the programme for the players,

Rakshit

SS, the strength and conditioning coach said, “I’ve designed a six-day programme keeping the competition format in mind. The players will undergo two training sessions a day. The first session will focus on strength and conditioning and the second will involve mobility, yoga and meditation. The emphasis of the second session is mental health. Given the prevailing circumstances, it is essential to keep the players mentally fit.”

Dwelling further, Rakshit added, “The sessions will be conducted online and the players will be divided into groups of five. I’ve ordered resistance bands of three variants. After every group training session, there will be a break of 30 minutes during which the resistance bands will be sanitized and sent to the players’ rooms.”