BEHIND THE SCENES AT PUNJAB KINGS

From musculoskeletal screening before the start of the IPL season to ensuring players gain back the lost fluids during games, here's an in-depth look at the kind of things the franchise does to keep the players game ready during the two months they are with the team

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN @Chennai

AFTER a hectic last three weeks or so, Andrew Leipus and Adrian le Roux are finally able to breathe. As is the norm just before the start of another Indian Premier League (IPL) season, the pair, head sports physiotherapist and the strength and conditioning coach at Punjab Kings, have had to run a battery of tests on the franchise's players.

"The first two weeks are hectic," Leipus says over a Zoom call. "You have got 25 guys who are coming in from various parts of the world with various levels of cricket under their belt. You have to get to know these guys, there is the screening process... it's quite intensive. We have come out of it pretty well."