In the current scenario, maintaining prime fitness is the primary goal for the Indian cricketers and in order to do that, one needs to be strict about his diet and workout. The off-field training regime of the team has been monitored by a designated individual and players like Virat Kohli follow a certain structured diet as well. The players just don’t indulge in anything that tastes good as they are conscious of what it does to their body.
One of the fittest players in the team is MS Dhoni, who is also the most experienced one as well. He decided to hang his boots from Test cricket in December 2014 but remains a crucial cog in the limited-overs squad. His recent outing as the captain and finisher with the Chennai Super Kings has further elevated his development despite a lot of competition from the youngsters. Dhoni has sharpest of the reflexes and his running between the wickets is unparalleled. All these antics make him a lethal cricketer even at the age of 36.
To improve his fitness Dhoni has had to make changes in his diet and lifestyle. After retiring from Test cricket, with more time in hand, he devotes extra time in the gym and looks a lot fitter than he was before. He had to give up on his favorite butter chicken and naan, chocolates, and milkshake along with soft drinks to get where he is today. The Jharkhand-lad eats healthy food now and that keeps him fit.
ALSO READ: Daughter Ziva Has Made MS Dhoni A Better Person
During an event in Mumbai, Dhoni said, “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.”
Mahi works out in the gym in order to improve his endurance and also to gain strength but only when there is little cricketing pressure. To balance the workload on his body he doesn’t hit the gym during the Indian Premier League (IPL) or amidst a series but only in the offseason.
Talking about his gymming antics, MS said, “I realized 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.”
According to the former Indian skipper, 80% of your fitness depends on your diet and the remaining 20% on the training.
MS Dhoni further elaborated, “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 percent of how you want to be or what you want to be is because of food; Twenty percent is because of training.”
Also Read: 9 Protein-rich Indian Breakfasts your kids should have
