Treated like royalty

The Indian team seems to be really enjoying its stay at the ITC Royal Gardenia in  Bangalore and the members are thoroughly indulging and pampering themselves with the facilities available there like food, spa and shopping. But they are making sure that they hit the gym early in the morning to stay slim and trim, thanks to their ruthless coach who makes sure that the boys don’t mess around and lose out on their energy. Metrolife explored how the Indian cricket team spends time off the field. We found that there’s never a dull moment and they spend their time in an array of interesting things.

Recipe for success

Stocking up on high protein is a top priority for the team. The team’s dietician has given strict instructions, especially for the breakfast buffet that is served before the team heads out to the grounds for practice. The buffet has a range of items including sprouts and fresh fruit juices. Lunch, however, varies as each player orders his personal favourite.

“If you look at the hotel bills you would see that Yuvraj orders Chinese food almost every other day either for lunch or dinner,” says a source from the hotel. According to the source, the Indian team are big foodies. If they’re aren’t dinning in the hotel then they are out in the UB City or Mantri Square Mall.

Fitness freaks

It’s not only about sweating it out on the field, the team has to hit the gym every morning. Practice or not, gym is an inseparable part of their routine. “Cardio and weights are a must for everybody. Virat and Zaheer Khan do a lot of weights,” says the source.  

The players hit the gym whenever they can grab some time off the field. When there’s no practice, they are at the gym from eight in the morning to 12 noon. The Spa is a favourite with most players.

“Yuvraj Singh and Sreesanth try out the signature massages at the hotel such as ‘Kaya Kalp Luxury Massage’ which is a 60-minute cream massage or ‘Acupuncture’ and the ‘Aromatic oil massage with hot stones’.”

“They cost anywhere between Rs 3,500 and Rs 4,000. Virat Singh heads off to his favourite spa in the City,” adds the source.

Great bonding

The team members always hang around together. With an entire floor to themselves, they are rarely seen alone. “They are with each other all the time. They often pop into each other’s rooms and have a blast. The bonding among the team members is strong,” says the source. Sreesanth, a Bangalorean, takes time off to spend time with his parents. “What’s really nice is that they are friendly guys and smile and chat even with the security guards,” adds the source.

Gadget frenzy

It’s all about sporting the latest technology for the Indian cricket team. If they are not on their i-pods they are hooked on to their i-pads. “When off the field, Sachin Tendulkar largely sticks to his room and is found reading on the Internet all the time. Due to security reasons we have requested him to be near the room itself. But he loves reading a lot, we have a media welcome hub in each room and he is often found there on the net checking out websites and reading,” informs the source.

Tight security

There are 20 policemen in plain clothes deputed on the floors where the cricketers are staying. They have 10 other cops who accompany them to and from the stadium. “When they head out alone we don’t accompany them unless they ask for it,” says a policeman on duty. These cops work in fours shifts and will be stationed there until the World Cup is through.

Well-accessorised

The cricket teams wear specially designed glasses and the colour of the frame varies depending on which team is wearing it. For instance, the Indian team wears a combination of light and dark blue glares. It’s yellow and green for the South African team, red and blue for the England team. “These glasses are optically superior, impact resistant and UV protective ones. They’re designed to keep off the sun as much as possible. The cricketers love these glasses and sometimes we piece them together according to specific requirements,” says Ashwin Krishnan, manager of Indian Sports Marketing.

These glasses cost anywhere between Rs 13,000 and Rs 16,000. There are also watches that are specific to the players. “They’re heat and water resistant and cost up to Rs 50,000,” he adds.