The first-ever foreign strength and conditioning (S&C) coach will soon join the World Cup-winning India women’s cricket squad. In an effort to improve the fitness framework for both national and developing teams, the BCCI has been bolstering its Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. Most recently, the S&C department added a number of professionals.
The current S&C coach for the Bangladesh men’s team, Nathan Kiely, is in advanced negotiations with the Indian board and is anticipated to join the CoE shortly, according to BCCI sources. Al Harrsha, the current women’s S&C coach of India, has performed admirably and was instrumental in the team’s historic World Cup victory, but it is believed that the board may have other plans for him within its growing organization.
Having worked with the Bangladeshi national team and as an assistant coach for New South Wales, one of Australia’s top first-class teams, Kiely brings a plethora of knowledge to the table. According to an India Today article, the S&C coaches assigned to the CoE usually alternate between working with the senior men’s and women’s teams, pathway programs, and age-group squads of India.
If Kiely formally joins, he will be the first foreign fitness expert to collaborate with the India women’s establishment; up until now, all of the women’s S&C coaches have been based in India.
Adrian Le Roux, who is currently in his second term as head S&C coach, is still in charge of the Indian men’s squad. Furthermore, Pratyush Agrawal and Amit Vengurlekar, two recent in-house coaches employed by the CoE, defeated a number of seasoned state-level applicants. In the past, Agrawal was the assistant S&C coach with the Delhi Capitals (DC), and Vengurlekar was the same position with the IPL’s Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Thanks to a spectacular knock by Jemimah Rodrigues, the Indian women’s team defeated Australia in the semi-final of the World Cup after coming fourth in the group round. By defeating South Africa Women by 52 runs in the final, the Women in Blue established a new chapter in Indian cricket history and won their first World Cup.
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