Five Fittest Cricketers In Contemporary Cricket

It cannot be emphasized in today’s era how much does fitness levels of an athlete matters. It is the age wherein competitive cricket has touched a level rarely witnessed before. The athletes have no choice but to cope up with the constant changing of the formats throughout the year. Thus, the degree of fitness levels for each version of the game varies drastically.

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That also calls for certain flagbearers in all the teams, one who can instil a strict fitness culture. To remain at the top, it becomes crucial to keep one’s body in good shape, which helps in keeping up with the ever-increasing demands of international cricket. And there is none better than to learn from their fellow athletes on how to adhere to keeping themselves fit. But with the cricketers enjoying a lengthy break currently, one can expect more cricketers to come out with better fitness levels.

We take a look at five fittest cricketers in contemporary cricket:

David Warner:

David Warner’s fitness levels are a significant contributor to his extraordinary cricketing skills. At 33, the little dynamite shows little signs of slowing down while running between the wickets and fielding. Even as he spent a year away from competitive cricket, Warner kept working hard. And after coming back, his energy levels, as well as the competitiveness, remained the same.

The New South Wales-born isn’t particularly ripped. However, he takes his fitness regime quite seriously and regularly posts his workout photos on Instagram. Adhering to a strict fitness schedule is proof of his exceptional power-hitting abilities at will.

Ravindra Jadeja:

Ravindra Jadeja is one of the fittest Indian cricketers today along with one of the best fielders. The all-rounder often fields at the backward point or the fences, protecting the boundary. And that is where he has pulled off some outstanding catches. From the backward point, Jadeja has affected a handful of game-changing run-outs.

Former strength and conditioning coach Shankar Basu named the Saurashtra cricketer as a natural athlete. At present, during the lockdown, Jadeja was seen in a video running as fast as he can in the treadmill. Due to his excellent running skills, he rarely gets involved in any run-outs.

Ben Stokes:

In recent months, Ben Stokes has emerged as the greatest and the most reliable all-rounder across all formats to grace the game. His game-changing contributions in the 2019 World Cup and Ashes have risen his stocks exponentially. England team fitness’ boss claimed during the Ashes that a strict training schedule has the all-rounder in his best physical condition.

Scott revealed that when the English fast-bowlers undergo a trial run of 2 km, the Kiwi-born cricketer always wins it. He also concentrates on doing pull-ups and bent-over rows apart from lifting dumbbell bench press worth 40 to 42 KG, performing relatively low repetitions. The 28-year old also carries an excess of 100 KG, usually doing three reps of each exercise.

Pat Cummins:

Pat Cummins’ journey to becoming the number one Test bowler is one of a kind. Cummins played his first Test in 2011 in which he picked seven wickets in the match. He wouldn’t feature in another Test for the next six years due to continuous injury concerns. But after nearly two years since his return, the 26-year old ascended to the top of the ICC rankings for bowlers.

2019 was a scintillating year for him. For a fast bowler with a long run-up and who hits the deck hard, Cummins played all five Tests in Ashes 2019. The Sydney-born speedster took 29 wickets, making him the highest wicket-taker in the rubber. Returning for the home summer, Cummins also played all five Tests against Pakistan and New Zealand. Hence, it is a drastic improvement for a fast bowler, who once couldn’t play a red-ball game for Australia for six years straight.

Virat Kohli:

Virat Kohli is the fittest cricketer of all of the remaining as of now. It is not only the physical fitness that Kohli stands out, but is also mentally tough. Shankar Basu labelled Kohli as a freak and credited the Indian captain for inculcating professionalism in training. He also revealed that the 31-year old hadn’t taken a cheat day in the last two years and credited him for transforming the fitness levels of fast bowlers.

The Indian teams of the past weren’t well known for their fitness; however, under Virat Kohli, they have become one of the fittest sides. With the Delhi-born cricketer in the team, it has inspired all his colleagues to follow his footsteps. According to a recent trusted report, only Manish Pandey and domestic cricketer Mayank Dagar have beaten Kohli’s yo-yo test score in cricket.

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