IPL 2023: Beating the heat

In unrelenting conditions, the IPL franchises have to manage everything from hydration protocols to analysing urine samples to keep their players safe

CSK fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana trains at the MA Chidambaram Stadium at Chepauk. (Photo | Chennai Super Kings)

CHENNAI: It's 4.45 pm on Friday evening in Chennai. The fans have started coming inside the MA Chidambaram for the IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, the summer heat visible on the faces of the masses. The Weather Channel website indicates that the temperature is 33°C. It could be perceived as a normal summer day, but one could feel a lot more than that. The website does say the same, ramping it up to 43°C.

Earlier in the day SRH had shared a training video on social media with the caption ‘All set to add a few Celsius to Chennai weather’. In it, Harry Brook could be heard saying, “It’s a little hot, sweating’. Tamil Nadu’s T Natarajan, when asked along the lines of what is famous in Chennai, will reply that food is good before pointing upwards, indicating the sun/heat.

The past few weeks have been similar. It is hard not to miss the commuters trying to find a fan at the metro stations to stand under it as they wait for their trains. And it is not just Chennai; Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata... the story remains the same. In fact, a recent study by the University of Cambridge said that almost 90 per cent of Indians are said to be vulnerable to public health risks and food shortages, driven by heatwaves.

It is in this climate the ten IPL teams, and the scores of organisers and broadcasting crews are travelling every day from one city to another for every match. And obviously, among them, it is the players who take the toll the most for the amount of time they spend on the field. The schedule is such that often, they end up playing two games in less than 48 hours after a game in a different city. Take Mumbai Indians for example, they played Kolkata Knight Riders on April 16 in Mumbai before going up against SRH in Hyderabad on April 18. CSK will fly to Kolkata to play KKR on Sunday after the game against SRH. Not to mention the fact that CSK's next two home games start at 3.30 PM.

How do players and teams cope with the tight schedule and play in such hot and humid conditions? Ramji Srinivasan, former head strength and condition coach of the Indian team, says that the preparation starts well ahead of the match. While the tiredness comes from travelling more than anything else, improper hydration and wrong meal timings are the other key reasons for muscle cramps or blacking out, he says.

"You have to hydrate well before. The heat wave may be more in the afternoon especially in landlocked areas like Delhi while in coastal cities there will be breeze and dew in the evening. The team management has to design it accordingly," he said.

"It starts from diet onwards, certain food may not be digesting quickly because of the heat. Checking urine colour constantly is a simple way of doing it. Then you have to test urine samples for specific gravity. It has to be less than 1. Sometimes it goes up from 1.3 to 2 and then the player may cramp up," added Ramji.

However, one shoe doesn't fit all. Some players sweat more than others. The process has to be highly individualised. Hydration drinks are to be made based on individual concoctions and labelled accordingly. It is the role of the strength and conditioning coach of the respective teams. In fact, it is something that some franchises do follow where the S&C coach collects urine samples and monitor them regularly to ensure the players are hydrated properly.

"The medical staff which we have are very good to keep guys hydrated, but there's no doubt about it. We just got to plan well... So, the travel is more exhausting than what people think. So managing that and making sure it's smooth. We've got a good process for that. Just making sure the boys rest up and keep their energy high reducing trainings to a degree. And funnily enough, winning helps as well because it's that good positive feel and you can relax a little bit of any decision making and concentrate on things that matter," said CSK head coach Stephen Fleming after the seven-wicket win against SRH on Friday.

Ramji feels that in a tournament like IPL, going into maintenance mode is the only way. And there are three vital aspects to it. "Recovery, hydration and diet protocols are like the tripod stool for players. Even if one misses out, it collapses," says Ramji.

"You need to keep sipping water through the day, especially in landlocked areas that have a dry heat. When you are thirsty and drink a lot of water, at the same time it might lead to hypotonic dehydration (loss of water associated with a decreased effective osmolality of body fluids). You can black out or have cardiac issues. The diet protocols, every team and individuals adhere to specific protocols; smoothies, juices, fruits like bananas etc. These days they have hydration gel, powder and bars readily available," said Ramji who is the founder of Sports Dynamix.

As for recovery, it includes active and passive sessions. Active recovery means pool sessions, contrast baths, ice baths, etc, while passive sessions are reading or watching movies or video games, depending on the individual. 

"Sometimes they are combined together with active sessions followed by passive. If you have not slept or your recovery pattern is not good, you can get dehydrated and have issues on the ground. There is a psychological aspect as well. If you miss out, it might have an adverse effect on the skill. The teams need to plan things well ahead. It is the onus of the S&C coach. The role of the support staff is paramount. The ideal scenario is preparing them well ahead of the tournament and keeping the players in the loop. They know their body better than anyone. If they feel dehydrated or anything, then you try to address it," said Ramji.