Ishant Sharma Reveals About Sacrifices Made to Stay Fit, Says 'Cut Down on Sugar, Stopped Eating Dishes Made by My Mother'

Ahead of his appearance for Team India against the first Test match against South Africa, Ishant Sharma opened up about the sacrifices he made to remain in shape. In an interview with The Cricket Monthly, the Indian pacer revealed that he cut down on sugar completely and even stopped eating dishes made by his mother to stay fit. The right-arm pacer also revealed that he did not relax for even a week after returning from West Indies 2019 tour and resumed his training.

The Indian pacer revealed that he has stopped eating dishes his mother cooks for him to remain fit. “Also, I have cut down a lot on what I eat. I have cut down on sugar completely. I come from a Brahmin family. For my parents, if you are not eating sweets, you are not a Brahmin! At least twice a month my mom makes aloo ki kachori, which is deep-fried. It is very tempting, but I do not eat. She will make kheer, but I will not eat. My parents complain I don't eat what they want me to. They think you need to eat ghee, drink milk, eat parathas with ghee to get strong. But I have given all that up”, Sharma was quoted by The The Cricket Monthly as saying. India vs South Africa 1st Test 2019, Match Preview: Rohit Sharma and Wriddhiman Saha in Focus As Virat Kohli and Co. Take On Proteas in Visakhapatnam. 

When asked about some of the sacrifices that he made to remain on the top of his form, Sharma said, “I have cut down on a lot of things. For example, straight after returning from the Caribbean recently, I had the opportunity to relax for a week or ten days before resuming training. Earlier after returning from any tour I would take it easy for a while, but this time I did not do that”. Ishant Sharma Turns 31: A Look at Five Excellent Bowling Spells by the Indian Pacer As He Celebrates Birthday in West Indies. 

The 31-year-old cricketer also revealed that he follows strict discipline in his lifestyle and even sacrificed his family time for training sessions in the past, “The jet-lag was there, but I have become disciplined win my lifestyle. Yes, I want to spend time with my family, but my wife works, my parents have their own schedule. So instead of just staying home, doing nothing, I went running for a bit, I went to the gym. Because for a fast bowler his body is everything”.

Sharma is set to play for Team India in the 1st Test match against South Africa, which will be played on October 2 (Wednesday). Sharma has risen in last two years as a reliable pacer and is among the leading bowlers for Team India in Test cricket. Sharma has played 92 Test so far and grabbed 278 wickets.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 01, 2019 05:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).