IPL 2021: RCB players reveal training milestones, prepare in full swing ahead of tournament resumption

With less than two weeks left for the second leg of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League to go underway, the preparations of all the teams are going on in full swing. Ahead of the same, Royal Challengers Bangalore opener, Devdutt Padikkal, was seen sweating it out in the gym in a clip posted by the franchise’s official Twitter handle.

The team’s strength and conditioning coach Shankar Basu also revealed how the players undergo training and prepare themselves for match situations. “These guys are proper athletes now. It is not like yesteryear. The way we look different from the outside, we function differently from the inside. So, it [training] is very unique in nature, and each athlete has different requirements. Based on that, we design their programs,” stated Basu.

“We take into consideration all factors – current fitness status, injuries, niggles and training loads. When we come to Dubai, the weather is the first focus; load monitoring is the key feature. It’s not only the weather, it’s the electrolyte imbalance, which can impact the training. We keep a tab on how each player recovers from one session to another. It is all unique,” he added.

“Stamina is a very mundane word. I would rather use the words power, strength, speed and endurance. T20 is very different from test cricket. [It’s] explosive, fast. Guys have to use anaerobic energy and they need to train specifically to get to that.”

Later, multiple players from the RCB camp reveal their weightlifting and exercise milestones, with Padikkal’s maximum squat being 100 kgs; bicep curls 20 kgs and the fastest treadmill run speed being 18.

RCB to kickstart second leg against KKR

The 2021 edition of the league was postponed midway through due to a spate of Covid-19 cases emerging inside the bio-secure environment, forcing the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council to postpone the tournament with immediate effect. The second leg is set to be played from September 19 in the UAE. RCB play their first game post resumption against KKR on September 20. In the 2021 edition, Padikkal blasted a sensational century against Rajasthan Royals and had 195 runs in six games at the time of the season suspension.

Bold Diaries: Inside the RCB Gym session

How do the athletes train and how does that help their game? Here’s a sneak peek into their training routine with RCB’s strength and conditioning coach, @basu2013.#PlayBold #WeAreChallengers #IPL2021 #BoldDiaries pic.twitter.com/yBZiKe5xIv

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) September 8, 2021