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NPTEL conducted a live youtube session with Indian cricketer and KKR captain Dinesh Karthik about how science and technology have invaded the sport and how it has changed the way it is played now.
The Indian Institute of Technologies (IITs) and Indian Institute of Science (IIScs)’s joint initiative National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) conducted a live youtube session with Indian cricketer and captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) who spoke in great length about the use of science and technology in cricket. The youtube session was streamed live on 26th April 2020.
Karthik, during this session, touched upon the various facets of the game which has changed drastically from what it was a few years ago. For eg, Karthik brought the difference in bats which were used during Sir Don Bradman’s time and the bats which are used today which weighs only 1120 grams.
In T20 cricket, he added, when a batsman starts his inning, he does so with a lighter bat and as the inning approaches towards the end, he switches to a heavier bat. He also explained the logic behind the same. He said that a lighter bat can be swung easily which helps the batsman to play instinctive shots whereas, the ball lands farther with a heavier bat.
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He also spoke in length about the modern safety gears which have evolved tremendously over the course of the last couple of decades. He specifically mentioned how helmets have evolved in the last couple of decades. To ensure that a player does not feel strained from wearing a helmet for a long time, titanium is used in it which makes it lighter. The backstrap is a recent addition to the helmet for the protection of the neck.
When asked about the type of shoes worn by the cricketers, Karthik said spike shoes are the most common ones used by them. A batsman uses half spikes which becomes full spikes for bowlers as they have to have some kind of support while bowling. There are different shoes for batting, bowling and fielding for some players, he added.
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Karthik also spoke about data analytics which has revolutionised the game in a completely different way. Citing the example of Indian Premier League (IPL), he said that data analytics has not only changed the dynamics of the game but also plays a key role during the auctioning process.
While concluding, Dinesh Karthik added that it is always a pleasing experience for him to share his cricketing knowledge with others.
