NEWS
Follow UsIndia’s Ravindra Jadeja, renowned to be one of the best fielders in the world, has revealed that the secret of his success is maintaining supreme levels of fitness. From taking blinders in the outfield to hitting the bullseye from near-impossible angles, Jadeja, on the field, has made a habit of creating something out of nothing.
And in a recent interview with Times of India, the 32-year-old revealed that he does shoulder exercises, among other drills, to keep himself super-fit to ensure he always has an edge on the field.
"Yes, I am one of the best fielders in the world. But I don’t take anything for granted, I keep working on my game and my fitness. I do a lot of shoulder exercises and running for that, for instance. That’s how I maintain my fitness, which helps me on the field," Jadeja told TimesofIndia.com.
Jadeja, since day one, has been an athlete with enviable levels of fitness, but the all-rounder revealed that the ‘fitness-first’ culture inculcated by skipper Virat Kohli ended up revolutionizing fielding within the side.
"Virat definitely has been very enthusiastic, proactive, and fit. He believes a lot in fitness as well, so everyone has to raise their fielding standards. Everyone in the team has been working on their fitness, that’s why you can see the difference on the field now," the 32 year old said.
Fielding and bowling have always been Jadeja’s areas of expertise since he broke into the national side, but, of late, the southpaw’s batting has touched new heights. Particularly in the shortest format, with his IPL record since the start of last season - 216 runs at an average of 60.5 and SR of 168.1 - serving as a testament to the same.
His evolution with the bat - which has now made him a second finisher in the national side, not just a second spinner - has seen him become one of the trump cards for India in the shortest format, and the southpaw asserted that lying in front of him, two months down the line, is a golden opportunity to deliver a World T20 title for the country.
“Definitely, it’s a good opportunity for me to make my team win this time in the T20 World Cup. Whenever I get an opportunity, I try to give my 100%. I feel good representing my country in a big sporting event like the World Cup. It's a special feeling,” Jadeja said.