Gautam Gambhir Alleges KKR Physio Andrew Leipus Spoke to BCCI But Not to Him About Injury

The Kolkata Knight Riders team have had little time to reflect on their defeat to the Mumbai Indians in the important IPL 4 eliminator. Instead there is a storm being raked up in the media and within BCCI circles about Gautam Gambhir's injury impacting playing for India. But Gambhir does not believe he is to be blamed.

gautam gambhir brett lee kkr

While there are people within the BCCI who think that the KKR captain is feigning ignorance, Gautam Gambhir tried to put to rest the dust surrounding his playing in the IPL 4 eliminator at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai despite carrying a shoulder injury whose extent is believed to be serious enough.

It is strange that the KKR physio, Andrew Leipus, who worked with the Indian cricket team before, had approached the BCCI with a letter stating that Gautam Gambhir was suffering two injuries, a chronic groin injury and a shoulder injury that a MRI report revealed as requiring intensive treatment as well as rest for a period of four to six weeks.

That pronouncement puts question marks over Gambhir's participation for the Indian tour of the West Indies while also raising the question as to why Gambhir was allowed to play in the match despite the extent of his injury. However, it would seem that Gambhir would have made the decision as captain of the team to not leave them at a critical juncture in the IPL 4 tournament, Gambhir is routing the problem back to Leipus.

Bombarded by questions over his injury, Gambhir tried to quell the storm by suggesting that when he sought the KKR physio for the report on medical investigations carried out after Gambhir complained of a recurrence of a shoulder injury that he sustained during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 during the final league match, the results were not revealed to him but rather that Leipus had suggested that they talk at the end of the match.

It would be interesting to note why the physio went directly to the BCCI without first taking the matter up with the Kolkata Knight Riders management, assuming he did not, and without talking to the cricketer and instead to chose to reveal to the BCCI even as Gautam Gambhir was taking the field. There is either a botched attempt at a cover up or there is confusion reigning all round because there is no clear picture emerging of whether Gambhir should be faulted, because the injury seems to have been ongoing one, or whether the blame can be put on the KKR team franchisee for letting Gambhir play on.