Wriddhiman Saha to undergo surgery in UK, BCCI timeline raises further questions

Mumbai: Wicket-keeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha will undergo a surgery of his shoulder in UK by this month end or beginning of August, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said.

“Mr Saha has been advised surgery. The surgery will take place at the end of July or the 1st week of August. The labral repair surgery will be done by Dr. Lennard Funk in Manchester, UK, BCCI said.

Team India wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha’s nature of injury and the further course of action was also explained by the Indian cricket board.

“Mr Wriddhiman Saha, Wicket Keeper of the Indian cricket team has sustained a posterosuperior labral tear. This injury will require surgery.

The nature of his injury and a timeline of the same is as follows:

Mr Saha had reported to the NCA (National Cricket Academy) post the South African tour on 29 January 2018 with a complaint of a left proximal hamstring tendinopathy (pain in the upper left hamstring).

Simultaneously he had complained of right shoulder pain. Subsequently an MRI scan was done in February which revealed a Labral tear. Appropriate doctor consultations were done with Srikanth Narayanaswamy, Sports Physician who then advised an ultrasound guided injection, which was duly done.

Following the injection, Mr Saha went through a rehabilitation process at the NCA, as advised by the doctors, and on March 19, he was discharged by the NCA, having fully recovered from his hamstring and shoulder injuries.

Saha then went to play IPL with the Sunrisers Hyderabad. On May 7, he fell twice on his shoulder jarring the joint.

On the following day he complained of pain and stiffness in the shoulder to his IPL physiotherapist.

Under the supervision of his IPL physiotherapist, he was taken to a doctor in Delhi and a second Ultrasound guided injection was done as per advice of the doctor.

He thereafter was rested for 5 IPL games while undergoing rehabilitation under the care of the franchise.

As a result of this injection and the subsequent rehabilitation, his right shoulder condition improved and allowed him to play without pain towards the end of the IPL.

During this period, on May 15, Saha requested to visit the NCA head physiotherapist, Ashish Kaushik, so that he could also review his right shoulder.

Ashish assessed his right shoulder and concluded that its presentation was similar to how it had been in late January/early February.

Ashish informed the Sunrisers Physiotherapist of this who then continued with his course of rehabilitation. The Team India Physiotherapist was informed of this sequence of events.

On May 25, he played the next IPL game. Unfortunately Mr. Saha injured his right thumb during this game with x-rays confirming that he had sustained a fracture.

On May 28, he was accompanied by the Team India Physiotherapist to an appointment to visit Dr Sudhir Warrier regarding a surgical opinion for his right thumb. Dr Warrier’s opinion was that the thumb injury did not require surgery. At this time, he complained of no shoulder pain or stiffness.

A further x ray on July 2 revealed that the thumb had healed. On the following day he reported to the NCA for rehabilitation. At that time he again reported that he was experiencing pain and restriction of movement in his right shoulder.

On July  4, he underwent an MRI of his right shoulder which revealed that his labral tear had worsened as compared to his previous scan.

Then on July 6, he was taken to meet Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, orthopedic surgeon, at Kokilaben Ambani Hospital, Mumbai. Dr. Pardiwala opined that another steroid injection would assist Mr Saha’s recovery. He also stated that should the injury not respond to the injection, then surgery would be necessary.

Post the injection, after observation and rehabilitation for five days, when his condition had not improved, he was declared unfit on July 13 and the Indian team management was informed of the same.

The entire course of treatment and consultation that was carried out at the NCA was performed in co-ordination with the India Team management and the GM of Operations, BCCI added. (UNI)