Tendulkar to commence practice from May

Sachin Tendulkar's chances of playing on the tour of the West Indies received a boost after he was scheduled to commence practice with a light bat in the beginning of May.

Tendulkar, who underwent a shoulder operation on March 27, has been advised a 26-day rehabilitation programme after which he is expected to start his cricket training, the Cricket Board said in a statement on Thursday.

The master batsman's rehab has been split into three phases, with the final phase running from April 22 to May 1.

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"The aim of this (third) period is to gain full ranges of shoulder movement, graded increases of the strength and control of the shoulder (and scapulae), improve cardiovascular function (GK program implementation) and aim to commence light bat batting by beginning of May," BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah said in the statement.

Tendulkar arrived in Mumbai yesterday from London, where he underwent the operation.

The first phase of rehab is to run from April 6 to 16.