Training like India v England Stars | Fitness Masterclass with Chinmoy Roy

The ongoing India versus England T-20 series is an eye opener to a now firmly established fact that this format thrives on power. Just have look at the way a Josh Butler and Virat Kohli tonk the ball to make it soaring into the stands.

Young turks like Ishan Kishan and Dawid Mallan ply their skill in the same mould. With power, in the same breath comes another parameter of fitness that is speed and agility. Eoin Morgan’s surveillance at point reminds us of his predecessor Paul Collingwood. KL Rahul’s superman save in the second T-20 is a statement of how high the bar is raised so far as agility is concerned.

Every budding youngster wants to emulate their idols. However, to scale that lofty standard one got to know the roadmap in programming the fitness training. In this episode I have endeavoured to provide some sample exercises.

Coming to developing power it is mandatory that one has to go through phases called periodisation in strength phraseology. The Olympic lifts flashed in the Instagram posts of a Ben Stokes or Virat Kohli are called big bang exercises. If a youngster wants to execute them then he has to first finish the initial phases of strength and afterwards master right form and technique before embarking on those heavy lifts. The Olympic lifts are like slog overs, coming right at the end. Other strength exercises are middle overs. Olympic lifts are big brothers. Relatively easier and more cricketing actions like exercises are junior brothers. The exercises I have shown with resistance bands can replicate the cricketing movements and strengthen the rotational core muscles. Remember it is the core which is the epicenter of power.

Again for speed and agility I suggest that first master the basic running drills like A-Skip, B-skip, high knee and so on. Then practice your 20-30 metres sprints. For agility use ladders and different shape drills. Once you have formed the basic foundation then go for the cricket specific run of three and hit the target drill I have shown in the video. We watch Nicholus Pooran or Hardik Pandya go air borne in the match situation. But they regularly go airborne during practice. That shrugs off the fear factor in flinging the body. So this drill will make you get used to throwing the body at the same time hitting the target.

Exercise

Band resisted single leg rotation

Band resisted lunge and rotate

Band resisted reverse chop

Technical cue

Flat back

Arms fully extended

Tall hip position

Reps and sets

12 reps X 3-4 sets

Drill

Run a three and hit the stump

Technical cue

During the dive maintain a low centre of gravity

Reps and sets

4-5 reps X 3-4 sets

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