Assam trainer to keep Kohli, Sehwag on toes - Nishanta Bordoloi joins Delhi Ranji team for the ongoing season, ACA unhappy with move

Nishanta Bordoloi assists Yuvraj Singh during a fitness session at Barsapara stadium in Guwahati. File picture

Guwahati, Nov. 7: Former Assam Ranji player and a highly qualified fitness trainer of the country, Nishanta Bordoloi, has joined the Delhi Ranji team as fitness trainer for the ongoing season.

A qualified BCCI match official, apart from being an international trainer, Bordoloi gave up his BCCI assignments as match referee in several matches across the country in the current season and joined the Delhi side at Ahmedabad on his new contract yesterday. Delhi are playing hosts Gujarat in Ahmedabad in a group A fixture from today.

After helping Yuvraj Singh regain fitness at the NCA after the latter’s mid-career illness last year, the 35-year-old Bordoloi will now work upon the likes of Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir, along with three other Indian internationals who figure in the Delhi team.

While Kohli and Sikhar Dhawan are at present doing national duty against West Indies in Calcutta, Sehwag, Gambhir, Ashish Nehra and Parvinder Awana are in the Ranji team.

Confirming the development, Bordoloi said: “I got the call from the DDCA (Delhi and District Cricket Association) on Tuesday asking me to join the same day for the current season. I flew directly to Ahmedabad and joined them yesterday morning. It is an opportunity which I’ll try to utilise the best I can.”

“I am told that Gambhir and Nehra, whom I have worked with at the NCA (National Cricket Academy) in Bangalore, had recommended me to the DDCA and thus, I was asked to rush immediately to join the team,” Bordoloi told The Telegraph over phone from Ahmedabad.

As a cricketer, Bordoloi, a top order batsman, had played 35 first class and 29 List A matches for Assam before he hung up his boots in 2009. He then took to officiating in matches and physical training in which he has attained qualifications under the US, UK and Australian fitness training curricula. He, however, continues to play state-level tournaments and is still a performing batsman for Guwahati in the state inter-district tournament.

Bordoloi, a part-time disc jockey as well, is employed with Oil India Ltd here.

The development, however, apparently did not go down well with the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) which was using his services for the training of the state under-19 team. When contacted for his views, ACA secretary Bikash Baruah said: “It is undoubtedly a good development as far as his career is concerned. However, he should not have left the state duty as a match referee and trainer for the under-19 team like this. The state which has produced him is going to be at the loser’s end now.”

“If he wanted to work with a Ranji team, he could have asked us for it after accomplishing the under-19 duty properly. We would have definitely considered him. I have issued a letter to him saying that we will continue to need his services from time to time,” Baruah added.

The exposure will not only give Bordoloi the opportunity to work with international stars but also draw the attention of the cash-rich and highly professional Indian Premier League franchises.