Ranking the 10 fittest Indian cricket players
Gone are the days when cricket players would walk out with potbellies, be content with a single when there was a chance to sneak in an extra run, or attempt to dive full-tilt for a ball that would scamper past them.
In what sounds like a proper no-brainer, cricket's evolved over the years and so has fitness standards. The current breed is a lean, muscled, six-pack flaunting bunch who have taken the game to a whole new level, courtesy of their staggering fitness levels.
Indian cricketers have taken those fitness levels a notch higher and have used that to supplement their game as well. This article takes a look at ten of the fittest cricket players in the side.
#1 Virat Kohli- Leading from the front
The Indian skipper hasn't had butter chicken for years by his own admission and the result is a toned and insanely fit physique that helps him dish out one impeccable performance after another.
Virat Kohli has set the bar high with his fitness regime for others to catch up. He has touched the score of 19 on the Yo-Yo test.
#2 MS Dhoni - Age is just a myth in cricket
He may not don Indian blue, but the sleeve-splitting biceps and brute power MS Dhoni unleashes in the IPL is a classic example of how fit the man is. At 39, Dhoni is an example for upcoming cricket players to stay fit.
#3 Ravindra Jadeja- Live wire
Jadeja's reflexes are a thing of envy. The Saurashtra all-rounder finds himself ranked third on our list for the sole reason that his hand-eye co-ordination is way better than most players in the setup.
His lean, chiseled frame makes him more agile on the field and he's got enough in him to power the ball over the rope at crucial junctures of the game.
#4 Manish Pandey- Mercurial with a Yo-Yo score of 19.2
Manish Pandey may have been in and out of the Indian cricket team, but it is surely not because of any fitness issues. He is a gun fielder and a hard-hitting batsman who has been one of the team's fittest cricket players. Like Jadeja, he makes the cut in the top five thanks to his impressive stamina levels.
#5 Hardik Pandya- Lithe and deadly
The back issue may have been the Baroda all-rounder's Achilles heel in recent times, but Hardik Pandya is deadly with the bat and has the endurance levels of a greyhound.
His ability to strike cleanly comes from the power he generates from the hips and the core and that makes him the fifth-ranked cricket player on our list.