International Cricket Council (ICC) recently announced the squads for the upcoming ODI series against England, which will be followed by a T20I tour of Zimbabwe.
What came as a surprise was the replacement announcement for Harshit Rana and Varun Chakaravarthy after they faced physical discomfort, eventually being ruled out of the official squads for the upcoming games.
Prince Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi were named as replacements for Harshit Rana and Varun Chakaravarthy in the ODI and T20I squads, respectively. According to ICC, Rana felt a sudden onset of discomfort in his right hamstring during the third T20I against England. Scans subsequently confirmed a Grade 1 injury, ruling him out of the upcoming ODI series against England. Meanwhile, Chakaravarthy suffered a similar issue in the same match, reporting discomfort in his left hamstring. An MRI scan revealed a Grade 2 injury, and on specialist medical advice, he has been ruled out of the T20I series against Zimbabwe.
Both players will report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) for further assessment and management. Their injuries once again highlight one of the most common yet underestimated problems in professional sports, hamstring injuries.
What is a hamstring injury?
Hamstring muscles are skeletal muscles located at the back of the thigh. These muscles play a crucial role in movement like walking, running, sprinting, jumping, bowling, and more. According to the Cleveland Clinic, these crucial muscles are also susceptible to injury, especially in athletes who run and sprint.
A hamstring injury occurs when these muscles are overstretched or torn. Depending on the severity, injuries are classified into three grades.
Grade 1 involves a mild strain with very little torn muscle, while Grade 2 includes a moderate strain with a partial tear. A Grade 3 muscle tear is a complete tear.
Can hamstring injuries be prevented?
Experts advise doing proper stretching and warming-up exercises for the hamstring muscles before activity. Take enough rest between workouts or periods of exertion.
For more, consult a health expert.
