The selection to the Indian cricket team is getting tougher day by day and to remain at the top level one has to maintain prime fitness which includes proper diet and workout.
Cricket news: Even at the age of 36, MS Dhoni is one of the fittest cricketers of India
There is always a person outside the cricket field who takes care of the fitness of a player and players like Virat Kohli also has to follow a certain structured diet as well.
It is not up to the players to consume anything which tastes good but has to remain conscious all the time to see which food does what effect to the body.
MS Dhoni is one of the fittest cricketers in the Indian squad even at the age of 36. Even after retiring from Test cricket in December 2014, he has remained as a key player in the limited overs cricket.
Recently he led the IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings to their third IPL trophy which has raised his fitness stature to a different level.
His fast running between the wickets and his sharp reflexes makes him a dangerous cricketer even at this age.
After his retirement from Test cricket, with more time in his hand, Dhoni spends extra hours in the gym which has made him look fitter than before.
He also had to give up his favourite food of butter chicken and naan, chocolates and milkshakes along with soft drinks to remain fitter. Only consumption of healthy food keeps the Jharkhand lad fit and healthy.
“Yes the food habits have changed. When I made my debut, it used to be butter chicken, naan and milkshakes with lots of chocolates and soft drinks. Once I turned 28, the chocolate was off, the milk shake was off. After (quitting) Test cricket, all the healthy food came in. The breads, the kebabs all those things came in,” Dhoni said at an event in Mumbai.
To improve his endurance and strength he hits the gym, but does so only during off season to relieve the workload pressure. During the IPL or during an ongoing series he doesn’t go to the gym.
“I realised I am also slightly different. I need to understand my body. This year I started gyming. But not all the time. Once the IPL started, I was not in the gym anymore,” he said.
According to Dhoni, he believes that 80% of the fitness comes from maintaining a healthy diet while the remaining fitness comes from workout in the gym.
“I just did some rowing. In Chennai, I had a rowing machine in the room. After breakfast, I’d start rowing. It was more functional for me. When I am playing cricket, I don’t want to do a lot of gym. In between the two series when there is a break, I hit the gym now. Eighty per cent of how you want to be or what you want to be is because of food; Twenty per cent is because of training,” MS Dhoni added.