The second phase of the IPL 2021 is set to resume in the month of September. Because of the surge in covid-19 cases in India, the venue was shifted to the UAE. But, because of a jam-packed International schedule for most of the countries, cricketers from those nations are backing out.
With a few more players withdrawing their names citing fitness and workload management, the importance of being physically ready for a tournament becomes that much more important. On that note, we take a look at ten players who have elevated the fitness standards to another level.
10) Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya, who plays for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, has quickly become one of the key players in their squad. He has been improving his performances with both bat and ball. In 2019, he played 16 matches for MI where he made 402 runs at an average of 44, with a strike rate over 170. With the ball in hand, his deceptive pace earned him 14 wickets.
Although in recent times he has focused only on his batting due to a recurring back injury, Hardik is eyeing up a return to the bowling department for the 2021 T20 World Cup. In the yo-yo test that’s conducted as part of the fitness routine, Hardik has reached the 19-point mark which puts him in an elite list of athletes.
9) AB de Villiers
De Villiers has become one of the most loved cricketers in India, which is quite a feat for a foreign batsman. His stroke-making ability on all sides of the ground has earned him the nickname ‘Mr.360’. He has been the talisman for RCB in recent years, a player who even Virat Kohli watches like a ‘fanboy’.
De Villiers, in the past couple of years, has been donning the role of a wicket-keeper as well. Although he has retired from all formats at the International level, he maintains his fitness by playing franchise cricket.
8) MS Dhoni
Although MS Dhoni’s batting prowess is on the decline, the former Indian captain has maintained his fitness and has even said he’ll continue in the IPL as long as he feels his body is physically ready. At 39-years-old, many athletes would have retired from professional sports but not Dhoni.
He is considered to be one of the fittest and fastest players to have ever played the game. His importance to fitness was visible when he dropped a few seniors from the team, right after he became the captain of the national team. Players like Jadeja and Kohli have followed in Dhoni’s footsteps regarding fitness.
7) Kagiso Rabada
The South-African express paceman has been inspirational for Delhi Capitals in the IPL. He picked up the purple cap with 30 wickets in his kitty, during the IPL 2020 edition held in UAE. Although he wasn’t his usual self in phase 1 of IPL 2021, he can turn it around when the IPL resumes in September.
Rabada is also one of the fittest cricketers around, having scored 19.2 in the yo-yo test. This is quite interesting as bowlers are traditionally considered to be on the slower side and a lot more prone to injuries. Rabada however, stands out among his contemporaries when it comes to fitness.
6) Jonny Bairstow
Bairstow opens for SRH and is their designated wicket-keeper so that pretty much sums up how capable he is of moving around on the cricket field. The Englishman has so far scored 248 runs at a great strike rate of 141 at the top order for SRH in IPL 2021.
Unfortunately for him, however, SRH is currently on course to win the wooden spoon, unless they work out a quick solution for their batting woes. Bairstow has scored a 21.8 in his yo-yo endurance test, something even Jadeja hasn’t been capable of as of yet. He remains one of England’s fittest cricketers along with Ben Stokes.
5) Ben Stokes
The all-rounder, who plays for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, is one of the most celebrated cricketers of England. He is well known for his knock of 135* that helped England draw the Ashes against Australia. His lion-hearted efforts on the field are a sight to behold.
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Stokes shoulders the responsibility of opening the innings for RR. He can even roll his arm over for a full quota of 4 overs whenever the team needs. Add to that his fielding skills, which is the biggest testament to the fitness levels that he can reach, the man is a complete package.
4) Virat Kohli
The Indian captain’s obsession with fitness is well known among fans as he regularly posts videos and clips of his gym routine. Kohli is devoted to maintaining a certain level of fitness and has set an atmosphere, in the dressing rooms that he’s part of, that’s positively inclined towards workout.
Virat Kohli has almost never struggled from any sort of niggles or cramps during a game. He’s rarely seen ruled out of a match due to injuries or health concerns. Only time he’s not part of the Indian team is when he’s managing his workload along with his personal life.
3) Faf du Plessis
The South-African quickly adapted to the role of an opener in the Chennai Super Kings’ line-up and is now one of their best batsmen in the IPL. He is also one of the safest catchers on the field, and usually gives Ravindra Jadeja a run for his money when it comes to fitness.
Even at age 36, the hunky batsman is Dhoni’s entrusted fielder in the outfield and is seen giving his 100% during the games. Although du Plessis has retired from Test cricket, he plies his trade in the limited-overs format and has his sights set on the 2021 and 2022 T20 World cup.
2) Manish Pandey
Manish Pandey is one of the only recognized Indian batsmen in the SRH line-up. He had a decent IPL 2021, where he scored at a strike rate of 123 and had an average of 48.25. Although the numbers look good, the situation in which he scored them needed a bit more from the Karnataka batsman.
Manish is probably the fittest Indian cricketer, according to the yo-yo test at least. He touched the 19.2 marks, something that hasn’t been reached yet by a capped Indian cricketer. He is an excellent fielder and is regarded as one of India’s safest outfield catchers.
1) Ravindra Jadeja
Jadeja is one of the best fielders in the world, if not the best. The Saurashtra all-rounder can not only change the game with his batting and bowling but can have the most impactful performance in the field as well. He is one of the quickest between the wickets and in the outfield.
In a game against Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2021, Jadeja took four catches and snatched a couple of wickets showing what a powerful presence he is on the field. He is MS Dhoni’s most trusted fielder and is usually busy manning areas that see the most action in a game.