Kamlesh Jain Resigns as India Physio Amid Backroom Changes

The quietest departures often leave the biggest gaps. Kamlesh Jain, Team India’s physiotherapist, has submitted his resignation to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), adding another name to a growing list of backroom exits around the national side.

Jain is currently with the Indian team in New Delhi for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan starting September 13, but his bags are already half-packed in professional terms. He is understood to be serving a three-month notice period and is waiting for the BCCI to formally relieve him. The board has not yet accepted his resignation.

If the timeline holds, India’s upcoming tour of New Zealand, scheduled to run until early December, is likely to be his final assignment with the national team — unless the BCCI decides to cut the cord sooner.

A familiar face in the dressing room since June 2022, the Chennai-based physio stepped into the role when Nitin Patel moved to the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. That change, at the time, looked like a straightforward reshuffle. Since then, Patel himself has left the CoE and joined Mumbai Indians, underlining how fluid the support-staff landscape has become.

Jain’s own decision, those close to the team say, is driven less by cricket politics and more by life outside it. The relentless travel that comes with being on the road with India has taken its toll. With a young family at home, he is believed to be seeking a role that keeps him closer to base.

“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 familiar with the situation said, framing the move as a personal call rather than a professional rupture.

Jain’s association with the national side began when he was recruited from Kolkata Knight Riders during Rahul Dravid’s tenure as India coach. From there, he became part of the inner circle that managed the physical demands on India’s players through a punishing calendar of bilateral series, ICC events, and the IPL.

His exit, though, does not come in isolation.

In recent months, the Indian setup has seen a noticeable churn behind the scenes. Long-serving fielding coach T Dilip stepped away after the tour of the UK, ending a stint marked by his work on India’s athleticism and fielding standards. Around the same time, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate also moved on; he has since linked up with Kolkata Knight Riders.

One by one, familiar figures are peeling away from the periphery of the dressing room, even as the spotlight stays fixed on the players and the head coach. For now, the BCCI has offered no immediate comment on Jain’s resignation or on how it plans to restructure the medical and support staff group going forward.

What is clear is this: as India head into another packed season, the team will not only be managing player workloads on the field, but also navigating a changing support structure off it.