After a rather disappointing 2022, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has introduced a series of changes at various levels, altering everything from the selection criteria to fitness standards. With the ODI World Cup set to be staged later this year in India, the board couldn’t afford any slip-ups in their own backyard.

In a high-command meeting attended by BCCI secretary Jay Shah, president Roger Binny, captain Rohit Sharma, and coach Rahul Dravid, the board decided that the National Cricket Academy (NCA) will co-ordinate with IPL franchises to monitor the players bound for 2023 ODI World Cup.

“Keeping in mind the men’s FTP and preparations for ICC CWC 2023, the NCA will work in tandem with the IPL franchisees to monitor the targeted Indian players participating in the IPL 2023,” secretary Jay Shah said in a statement.

The board also confirmed that emerging players will not get into the Indian team on the back of just one good IPL season. They will need to grind out in the domestic circuit before being eligible for selection in the national team.

The Indian team have been bogged down by injuries last year, and in order to change that, the board has reinstated the Yo-Yo Test, introduced by Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri. After the pandemic, the YO-Yo Test was scrapped, and instead, the players were asked to complete 2km in under 7.30 minutes to prove their fitness.

But the board understood that Yo-Yo Test is not enough, and thus they have also introduced a DEXA scan, which will help them foresee a bone injury among players.

How Does DEXA Scan Work?

The Dexa Scan uses X-rays to measure body fat percentage, bone density, and muscle mass. It also helps in predicting the fracture with great accuracy, and that’s why sports teams have been using it. With this method in place, players won’t be able to hide their injuries, which has become a common occurrence in Indian cricket.

“It helps you understand where the fat is and whether the training methods are yielding the result. It is all linked to a cycle. It is part of testing protocols that should have become mandatory long back. Some teams have been doing this for 10 years,” Ramji Srinivasan, the former strength and conditioning coach of the Indian team, told Indian Express.

Along with Dexa scan Tests, the board will now get away with standardized planning for fitness, and instead implement a customized model, designed as per the different needs of players.