5 Indian cricketers and their favourite street food ft. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma
Fitness has become of paramount importance in Indian cricket over the past decade. To be part of the current Indian team, one of the first factors is sharpness in the field, for which it is extremely crucial to maintain a balanced diet.
A lean physique with six-pack abs has become the new norm and that has raised the Men in Blue's standard of performances across formats. However, maintaining control over what the players eat also means that they need to avoid their guilty pleasures.
A number of Indian players can be considered extremely fit and this has helped their performances as well. However, some of them still have a favorite form of street food that they may eat on cheat days.
On that note, let's take a look at five such Indian cricketers and their favorite street food.
#5 Yuzvendra Chahal - Pani puri
Yuzvendra Chahal is a fierce competitor on the field, but is an equally hilarious character off of it. Known for his rib-tickling interviews on 'Chahal TV', the 32-year-old is also a huge foodie, something his slender frame belies.
Chahal is an absolute fan of Indian 'chaat', especially 'pani puri', or 'gol gappe' as they are referred to in the north. He has been pretty vocal about how much he loves to add onions and different types of chutneys to make his food spicy.
He is also a huge fan of Delhi's street food and loves chole-kulche.
#4 Mohammad Shami - Biryani
Shaaami, loving it 🤗 Thanks for the Biryani @MdShami11
@mdsirajofficial, yours is pending 😜 https://t.co/qmKxLQeUaY
One of the best fast bowlers in the world at the moment, Mohammad Shami is also a food lover, with a preference for non-vegetarian items, and absolutely loves biryani. During his domestic cricket days in Kolkata, there have been stories where Shami was encouraged to take wickets with assurances of biryani in return.
Shami is also fond of giving his teammates a treat and has thrown 'Biryani Parties' in the past. Even former head coach Ravi Shastri once thanked the pacer for sending over some delicious biryani.
#3 Rohit Sharma - Pav bhaji
Indian captain Rohit Sharma has a reputation for making his teammates comfortable around him, no matter their age.
One of the best ways the 35-year-old uses to bond with his teammates is by arranging a typical Mumbai street food party. This happens almost annually in the Mumbai Indians dressing room.
Being a true Mumbai boy, Sharma absolutely loves the likes of pav bhaji, vada pav and samosa pav. He also encourages his teammates, especially the overseas players in the team, to try the spicy 'chaat' food of Mumbai.
#2 Virat Kohli - Chole bhature
Arguably the biggest reason behind the revolution in the fitness culture within the Indian team is none other than former captain Virat Kohli. As someone who was chubby at the start of his career, Kohli gradually realized he needed to remain extremely fit to stay on top of his game.
He first brought changes to his own diet and also encouraged his players to maintain a benchmark of fitness. However, he has openly accepted his love for chole bhature on a rare cheat day, especially from Delhi's Rajouri Garden.
The 33-year-old previously said in an interview that both he and his wife Anushka Sharma once craved chole chature. They ate to their heart's content and two hours later hit the gym to burn all the calories.
#1 Sachin Tendulkar - Vada pav
Whoever knows the God of Indian cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, personally knows that he too is a tremendous foodie. Throughout his playing career and even after retirement, Tendulkar has loved to travel around the world and try different cuisines.
However, like every Mumbaikar, he has a soft corner for vada pav, particularly from Shivaji Park, where he grew up practicing the game. He can apparently taste a vada pav and tell whether it has been bought from Shivaji Park or not.
Tendulkar has previously stated how fond he and his cricketing friends were of vada pav in childhood. They used to eat the classic Mumbai 'chaat' item after tiring themselves out playing matches or practicing at Shivaji Park.