Kamlesh Jain Resigns as India Physio Amid Staff Changes

Team India’s support staff is bracing for another change. Physio Kamlesh Jain has tendered his resignation to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), adding to a growing list of departures from the national setup.

For now, Jain remains on duty. He is currently with the Indian team in New Delhi, preparing for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan starting September 13. But his bags, professionally at least, are already half-packed.

Notice period ticking down

Jain, who joined the Indian team in June 2022, is understood to be serving a three-month notice period. The BCCI has not yet formally accepted his resignation, but the process is in motion.

On that timeline, India’s tour of New Zealand, scheduled to run until early December, is likely to be his final assignment with the national side—unless the board decides to relieve him earlier.

The Chennai-based physio stepped into the role when Nitin Patel moved from the Indian team to the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. Patel has since left the CoE and joined Mumbai Indians, underlining how fluid the backroom landscape has become.

Travel fatigue and family pull

Those close to the team and the board paint a simple picture: the grind has caught up.

Jain is believed to have sought a move away from the national role because of the relentless travel that comes with it. Tours, bio-bubbles in the recent past, quick turnarounds, and little time at home have all taken a toll.

“He has been with the Indian team for four and a half years. Although he has enjoyed his association with the Indian team, he wants to avoid travel because of a young family,” a source said, underlining that this is more about life balance than dressing-room politics.

The BCCI has not issued any official statement or comment on Jain’s resignation yet.

Jain’s association with Indian cricket predates his current stint. He was recruited by the BCCI while working with Kolkata Knight Riders, during Rahul Dravid’s tenure as India head coach. From franchise cricket to the national team, he built a reputation as a trusted figure in the medical and fitness setup, working closely with players through packed calendars and high-stakes series.

Part of a broader churn

His departure does not stand alone. It follows a noticeable churn in India’s support staff in recent months.

Fielding coach T Dilip, a long-serving and popular figure in the dressing room, exited after the recent tour of the UK. Around the same time, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate also moved on and has since linked up with Kolkata Knight Riders.

One by one, familiar faces around the team are stepping away, forcing the BCCI to rethink and rebuild the ecosystem behind the players.

For now, Jain will continue to tape ankles, manage niggles, and keep India’s stars on the park while the clock runs down on his notice period. What comes next for him—and who steps into one of the most demanding physio roles in world cricket—will say plenty about how Indian cricket manages the human cost of its relentless schedule.