The hopes of Royal Challengers Bengaluru making it to the playoffs may have been dashed this IPL season, but it marks a period of fulfilment and satisfaction for its strength and conditioning coach A I Harrsha, based in Hyderabad.
The cricketer-turned-coach had represented Hyderabad at various levels — under 15, 17, 23 — and in the Ranji Trophy too. He had always been aware of the importance of strength and conditioning for a cricketer, even during his early cricketing years. Yet it was only after he suffered a career-threatening knee injury that he knew many have little knowledge of strength and conditioning. Having that knowledge could have helped him recover and return to the game.
Fitness parameters
“The very reason I took on this role is that I didn’t get great inputs about strength and recovery after my injury. I wanted to give young players the quality expertise that could have possibly helped me then. I always underwent fitness tests and felt things could have been handled better. However, I didn’t have the necessary knowledge on how it could be done,” says Harrsha. Having been on both sides of a team — player and a strength and conditioning coach — he understands team dynamics better than a non-playing coach.
So what role does he play in a team? “I makes sure the players are fit and fresh without any niggles; the periodic programmes ensure that the players aren’t ready for just one match alone, but for the entire season. Managing recoveries and workload are key elements of this profession. Workload kinetics and warm-ups vary from player to player.”
Multiple certifications, a year and a half stint at Chennai where he spent over 1000 hours coaching athletes at various levels, got him the RCB job. The tricky aspect during the stint were more to understand each player. “You can’t play by the book; you have to be proactive and pragmatic in everything you do.”
Adapt to situations
Harrsha doesn’t try too hard to change a players’ routine. “Everybody is a professional at this level, you needn’t really hold a stick. We only make sure they’re comfortable and yet stay fit.” The varying match timings, jet lags, the advertisement rigmarole are a few challenges in his job. “You need to adapt yourself accordingly. You may feel that a certain player needs to workout at a certain time, but the tournament is hectic and it’s important to ensure a balance. Making the best out of the given time is the key.”
Harrsha makes it a point to not flash his cricketing experience to the players. “It’s easy to imagine that I would be offering advice about shots and on-field action to them. I don’t even speak cricket; many don’t know that I played cricket in the past. I’m happy to stick to my role.”
Did he miss out on supporting his home team due to his RCB stint? “These things do not actually matter. At the end of the day, you’re doing your job; it’s completely professional.”
