IPL 2017: Gujarat Lions team management books entire luxurious resort for players

One of the major concerns for players in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been the fatigue issue which has hurt many teams in the past. With the tournament going on for nearly 2 months, it becomes really difficult for the players to pull their socks up and perform on a consistent basis. To go with that it’s the summer month in India so it becomes that more difficult for the players to cope with the scorching heat.

Over the course of two months, players have to keep on travelling to at least 10 venues and have to keep them fresh for each and every game. While these excuses cannot be cited as a reason behind below par performances but it certainly is an aspect which the team management is looking after. In most of the cases, players staying in 5-star hotels have to cope with the fans pouring in large numbers to catch a glimpse of them which becomes a difficult task for them especially after a hard day’s work.

The home venue for Gujarat Lions, the Saurashtra Cricket Association Ground saw a temperature of 44-45 degree Celcius last week. Though the heat cannot be cited as an excuse for non-performance, the GL team management has taken additional measures to ensure their players remain in the best of shapes to deliver to their potential.

For the first time in IPL, Gujarat Lions have effectively booked an entire luxurious resort which is located in the outskirts of the city. The SCA Stadium is pretty nearby too and the idea was initiated by CEO Col Arvinder Singh. Previously the teams stayed in a 5-star hotel but the difference here is that they will get their own privacy and can relax.

According to reports from Hindustan Times, they will be able to access the facilities of swimming pool, gym and all the other sports facilities as the resort has been solely booked by the GL team management. Their pictures are posted on the wall with motivational messages in the team meeting room.

Another big advantage for the Gujarat players is they will get their preferred non-vegetarian food. It is pretty difficult to get non-veg foods, especially in Gujarat so they have taken this step to ensure the players can eat whatever they crave for and remain fit and healthy. Many of the players in the team prefer non-veg food which might be the reason behind GL taking this step.

“There is plenty of variety in non-vegetarian food at the resort. The last season, the options were limited at the five-star hotel. Especially, in Gujarat, non-vegetarian food is a bit of a task. And a lot of players prefer non-vegetarian food. The advantage here is that there isn’t anyone else apart from the team at the resort, so everything from food to ambience is as per the team’s liking,” a trustworthy source was quoted as saying to HT.