When it comes to MS Dhoni, age was just a number when he played for India. As Captain Cool got older, he ensured he kept in shape. In fact, he was one of the fittest players in the world.
Turning clock back to 2017, when India was hosting SriLanka for a ODI Series, just before the 2nd match, millions on TV and the fans at the ground got to see something special.
The wicketkeeper-batsman had a 100-metre dash with all-rounder Hardik Pandya at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium in Mohali. The race was a part of team India’s warm-up session and it didn’t come as a surprise that it was MSD who emerged victorious. Pandya, apparently, did give him a tough contest but Dhoni had enough in him to steam past the young all-rounder. That perhaps shows us how fit Dhoni is.
A quick 100 metre dash between @msdhoni and @hardikpandya7. Any guesses on who won it in the end? #TeamIndia #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/HpboL6VFa6
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 13, 2017
When Ravi Shastri took the position of head coach of the Indian cricket he made clearing the yo-yo test and achieving desired fitness levels mandatory for the players. Those failing the test were either dropped or not considered for selection.
Senior players like Ambati Rayudu and Mohammed Shami were dropped after failing the test. Even the senior players like MS Dhoni and Ashish Nehra had to clear the test to retain their place in the squad.
The Indian team has two fitness test norms – a player needs to either clear the yo-yo test where the level has been upgraded to 17.1 from 16.1 or run two kilometres in 8 minutes 15 seconds for fast bowlers and 8 minutes 30 seconds for the rest.
