NCA physio faces heat after Ishant injury, pacer could miss IPL first part

The resurfacing of Ishant Sharma's ankle injury has left the BCCI red-faced and National Cricket Academy (NCA) head physio Ashish Kaushik under the scanner.

The 31-year-old speedster could miss the first part of the IPL in case he is required to undergo rehabilitation at the much-maligned NCA.

Ishant joined the Indian team in New Zealand 72 hours before the first Test and bowled nearly 23 overs for a five-wicket haul.

The Indian team management has remained tight-lipped about the outcome of his scan results but according to sources in the BCCI, the same ligament injury on his right ankle has flared up once again.

The BCCI media team issued a release after 24 hours which didn't state anything other than what the covering media here already knew.

A few questions have popped up in the BCCI circle with this latest injury fiasco.

"Once Ishant was ruled out for six weeks by the Delhi team physio after his scan reports revealed Grade 3, how did Kaushik and the NCA team come to conclusion that three weeks is good enough for return to competitive cricket?," a BCCI insider questioned.

The second question is: was there a greater push from the player himself to get fit in time for the Test series?