Who is Navneeta Gautam, who has got the responsibility of keeping RCB players including Virat Kohli fit?

IPL Athletic Therapist Navnita GautamWhenever we hear the name of IPL, the picture of big players comes to our mind. But do you know that the fitness of these players plays a big role in their good performance? Behind every fit player there is a complete team, which includes many experts. Among these, there is one name which very few people know. This is a woman, who plays an important role in keeping the players fit and improving their performance. The special thing is that he has been given this responsibility in IPL 2026 also. She is a part of the sports staff of RCB franchise. We are talking about Navneeta Gautam. Now the question is, who is he and how did he create this identity?

Who is Navneeta?

Born in Vancouver, Canada, Navnita is a certified athletic therapist. Even before coming to IPL, he has done a lot of work at the international level. He has worked with the Toronto Nationals in the Global T20 Canada. Apart from this, she has also been the therapist of the Indian women’s basketball team in the Asia Cup. He has also served in the professional golf tours of Europe and Asia and has helped players in their fitness and recovery.

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First female sports massage therapist in IPL

Navaneeta Gautam joined Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2019 as a sports massage therapist. This was considered an important and revolutionary step in this men’s cricket league, which was highly appreciated. RCB was praised for this decision of the team that they gave such a big responsibility to women sports professionals. Navneeta, along with the team’s head physiotherapist and strength and conditioning coach, helps the players in their recovery and plays an important role in correcting their physical problems.

What is the role of Navneeta Gautam in Virat Kohli’s fitness?

Even though Navneeta Gautam takes care of the other RCB players as well, she came into limelight the most when a picture of her with Virat Kohli went viral. In this picture, she was seen helping Virat Kohli in his recovery by giving him a massage on the field. She works to improve the fitness and recovery of players through her manual therapy and soft tissue techniques.

Navnita Gautam’s statement on gender issues

When Navneeta Gautam joined the league, some people raised questions about how the only woman would fare in a men’s dressing room. But he responded to this very comfortably and confidently. Navneeta said that she never felt uncomfortable there, rather this environment for her was as if there were 20 brothers around her. He clearly said that when players and staff respect your work and trust, then gender does not matter.

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Contribution shown in WPL also

Pleased with the work of Navaneeta Gautam, RCB made her the head athletic therapist of the women’s team when the WPL starts in 2023. After this his responsibility increased further. She helps keep big players like Smriti Mandhana and Ellyse Perry fit and match-ready.

Foreign player has flirted with Navneeta Gautam

Let us tell you that even before this, Navnita Gautam’s name had come in the headlines in the year 2021. This incident happened during the IPL match, when she was sitting in the dugout. At the same time, Kyle Jamieson was waiting for his turn wearing full kit, because he had to bat at number-8. When the camera panned to Jamison, he was smiling at Navnita Gautam sitting in the dugout.