Jain was an assistant physio at KKR under Andrew Leipus for seven years before taking over the head physio role in the last three seasons, since 2020 © BCCI/IPL
Kamlesh Jain of Kolkata Knight Riders is in line to be the head physio of the Indian team. If talks succeed, which Cricbuzz understands they have, the Chennai-based Jain, who has been with the Kolkata franchise since 2012, will replace Nitin Patel, in the position. Patel took over as the head of Sports Science and Sports Medicine at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru earlier this year.

A formal response from the Team India head coach Rahul Dravid and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah is awaited but Jain is believed to have impressed all concerned in the Indian team and BCCI, including NCA head VVS Laxman, besides Dravid and Shah. He was recently interviewed by all and is understood to have got an oral confirmation.

Jain could not be reached for a comment but KKR sources have confirmed the development.

Once finalised, he is expected to take charge immediately after the ongoing IPL, with the home series against South Africa likely to be his international assignment. Yogesh Parmar, who has been with the Indian team along with Nitin Patel, may also remain with the side as the Indian team will be having multiple assignments in multiple countries simultaneously.

Jain, in his mid-30s, was an assistant physio at Kolkata Knight Riders under Andrew Leipus for seven years before taking over the head physio role in the last three seasons, since 2020.

"We are very happy for him. He is thoroughly deserving of the position," said a KKR official, who also took pride that the franchise's head coach, Brendon McCullum, has already been hired as the red ball coach of the England team. There is also speculation that a former assistant coach of the franchise (in the first three years under John Buchanan), Matthew Mott, is in the race to be the white ball coach of the England side.