DUBAI: While fans and headlines focus on Jasprit Bumrah’s comeback and Sanju Samson’s middle-order prospects, a quiet technological revolution is unfolding behind the scenes at India’s training camp for the Asia Cup. In the blistering heat of Dubai, it isn’t just sweat and grit shaping the team’s preparations—it’s data, sensors, and cutting-edge analytics.
At the center of this transformation is Bumrah. His return from a stress fracture isn’t just being monitored by physios; it’s being tracked millimeter by millimeter through wearable inertial measurement units (IMUs) strapped to his bowling arm and back. These devices, supplied by Bengaluru-based tech startup SpeedSense, capture real-time metrics on his bowling load, shoulder alignment, and follow-through intensity. The data is instantly relayed to a dashboard used by the team’s support staff, who can assess whether his action is sustainably replicable under match pressure.
“We’re not just looking at speed or swing,” a BCCI sports science insider revealed. “We’re analyzing micro-gaps in kinetic sequencing—how his hip rotation syncs with his front-foot impact, for instance. It’s preventive medicine meets performance optimization.”
For Sanju Samson, the focus is different. The Kerala wicketkeeper-batter has long been seen as a talent needing consistency. Now, high-speed stereoscopic cameras—positioned at multiple angles across the nets—are capturing every shot he plays. Hawk-Eye-derived ball-tracking tech, similar to what’s used in DRS, is being repurposed to provide instant feedback on his bat swing path, backlift angle, and even weight transfer during footwork.
This isn’t generic video analysis. Custom-built software developed with IIT Madras processes the footage to generate a “stroke efficiency score,” helping Samson understand which shots are high-risk in certain conditions and which are high-reward. In a tournament where spinners like Rashid Khan and Wanindu Hasaranga will test his game, such granular insight could be decisive.
But the tech stack doesn’t stop there. The team is also using drone cameras to get aerial views of fielding drills, helping coaches like Rahul Dravid assess positioning and movement patterns. GPS vests, worn by every player during fielding sessions, track sprint intensity and recovery rates—critical in UAE’s humid climate where fatigue can compromise performance.
Perhaps the most intriguing tech in use is the portable weather simulation unit. Designed by a Pune-based aerospace engineering firm, it replicates humidity and wind conditions expected during matches in Colombo and Karachi. Batsmen face throwdowns in these controlled environments to acclimatize to swing and seam variations caused by atmospheric pressure.
This technological push didn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of the BCCI’s multi-crore investment in the National Cricket Academy’s tech wing, which has partnered with Indian startups and research institutes over the past three years. The goal isn’t just to win matches—it’s to build a data-rich ecosystem that can prolong careers, reduce injuries, and tailor training like never before.
Not everyone is convinced. Some former cricketers argue that data can’t replace instinct, and that over-reliance on tech might sterilize the natural flair of players like Samson or Suryakumar Yadav. But the current management believes in a hybrid model: using tech to inform decisions, not make them.
As India trains under the Dubai sun, the real action isn’t just in the nets—it’s in the servers, sensors, and algorithms working overtime. In today’s cricket, talent alone isn’t enough. It’s how you decode it that matters.
