Cricket Conditioning for IPL Cricket | Fitness Masterclass with Chinmoy Roy

T-20 they say is a game for exuberant multi-tasking youngsters. In this super fast racing track of twenty two yards the old engines are outdated. That's the common refrain.

Going against that perception some franchises in this IPL have spent lavishly to some 40 plus cricketers to lock horns with the young guns. MS Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir have long retired from international cricket while Chris Gayle at 41 just plays T-20 for the Caribbeans.

It's no rocket science to understand that T-20 cricket demands raw speed and power. That's why the West Indians' are ideally suited for this, being gifted with physical strength. Sprinting, diving, muscling the ball come at monotonous regularity. Without top notch fitness you simply can't survive in this format, that's what greats like Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist found out in their later stages of IPL days.

Fact is, MS Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh are completely out of cricket for around 6-9 months, while Imran Tahir and Chris Gayle intermittently play T-20 leagues across the globe. With the franchises being severely unforgiving, how come these towering figures still soldier on with their battle weary legs?

This episode deals with the answer. Firstly this format is of three hours in duration through two innings with a 10 minutes break. Therefore, in comparison with ODI cricket which lasts seven hours, it does't challenge your cardio endurance parameter to the brink. Training for short burst speed intervales along with agility and resistance training will fire the fast twitch fibres that produce force. Short burst efforts will also save the aging joints, especially the knees. Once in 15 days a 3 km time trial is fine.

Now, guys like MS Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh and Imran Tahir are naturally fit that make their job a much easier. But even for them without going through the grind of sprinting or strength training it is impossible to pound the park not getting injured or being exposed badly. Skill can not be your only saviour. Chris Gayle, the universe boss and a proven match winner has severe lack of joint mobility and he is terribly slow in the park.

He does yoga and strength training and somehow managing to survive. Apart from the the conventional speed- agility and resitance training I have shown a football drill, a sport MS Dhoni is fond off. Remember playing other sport can keep
your limbs working when you are not playing competitive cricket.

I have displayed two drills in this episode

1. Figure of T drill Reaction drill
2. Football specific figure of T drill

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