5 training drills that Ravindra Jadeja uses

Fame comes at a cost that most fail to see. Unlike the common man, famous personalities have to go through a lot of hardships to acquire all that they do. Carrying the weight of so many people’s expectation, they have to strive to be at their best. Keeping the distractions aside, Ravindra Jadeja does it all with diligence.

You can only realise your potential if you work hard for it. On the basis of genuine hindsight, one can easily make the aforementioned claim. Under such circumstances, keeping your head down and working hard is the only thing to do.

This is why Castrol Activ is regarded as one of the best motor oil products in the word. Its superior chemical properties coupled with its hardworking nature make it a highly efficient food for your vehicle.

Jadeja, like Castrol Activ, is someone who realises the importance of breaking the sweat in order to reach his goals. And here are the 5 training drills that he uses that helps him accomplish that…

#1 Speed development

Developing speed is a crucial aspect of cricket given that it helps with running between the wickets as well as saving runs in the field. The likes of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman were never really quick runners and hence had to field exclusively at slips.

However, for a modern-day cricketer, that is not an option anymore as a player is expected to field in any position the captain asks to. Hence, speed is necessary—and so is developing it. Jadeja knows this and hence uses speed development techniques to increase his pace.

He completes 5-7 alactic strides—massive burst of pace in very increments of time, usually under 9 seconds—with full recovery between each and over the course of 120 to 150 meters. This allows Jadeja to develop speed, that helps him in match situations.

#2 Box Jumps

The procedure of this is simple: stand 2 inches behind a plyo box, bend down in a squat position and jump on top of the box. However, doing it is not as easy as it sounds. Ravi Jadeja does the following exercise to increase the strength of his legs while maximizing his jump height.

Doing three sets of 10 jumps each, it allows Jadeja to make seemingly impossible jumps in match situations to grab a catch or save a six.

#3 Side touches

Jadeja seen effecting a run-out

Having a bulky body isn’t what a cricketer aspires to achieve as it minimizes the mobility factor in them. Being a cricketer, agility is one of the most important traits that one must possess—and Jaddu knows this.

It is for this reason that he goes through so many hardships in order to be at his agile best. And this exercise helps him achieve that.

Jadeja takes a pylo box, puts his left leg on it and right on the ground and then continuously changes foot, right on the box and left on the ground. He does this 10 times in a set for three sets straight.

#4 Maximising Aerobic velocity

As the name suggests, this exercise allows Jadeja to have a maximum possible speed while consuming the maximum amount of oxygen. Setting up cones to mark 20 meters on either end of a 140-meter track, Jadeja uses it as a recovery zone.

In the middle, Jaddu runs 100 metres as quickly as he can before recovering by running at half the speed after crossing the cones. This allows his speed to be at the highest point with the amount of oxygen that he intakes.

#5 Wide to Narrow squat jumps

An agility ladder is something every sportsperson has. Like its name suggests, it helps one become more agile and in cricket, that is one of the most important qualities to have.

Only a very few players, however, use the agility ladder as wisely as the Gujarat Lions spinner. He uses the agility ladder to make squat jumps: one jump inside the box, one jump outside the box while moving forward through the ladder.

As you may have inferred already, this allows the all-rounder to be a very good fielder since it keeps his agility to a maximum.