All-round meal

“You don’t need a special diet to maintain your cricketing spirit,but you do need to know what works best for you. “There is nothing special about my daily diet,it includes roti-subzi,which is often accompanied by salad,” Khadiwale says. Giving further details he says,“I prefer having small meals throughout the day,instead of having a heavy lunch or dinner. I start my day with light breakfast,which consists of fruit juice,an egg or two and a banana. I avoid oily food,as far as possible.”Harshad Khadiwale made his first-class debut at the age of 18 and was a part of the Indian under-19 squad. The 22-year-old,who has cemented his place as an opener in the Maharashtra Ranji team,started the Ranji 2009 season by scoring a century against West Bengal. He also recently grabbed the man-of the match award for scoring 183 runs against Andhra Pradesh in a Ranji match.

When asked whether if he follows a special diet during match days and tournaments,Khadiwale says,“On match days I prefer having a light lunch and the rest my diet remains almost same. But I am very cautious and I first look after my rehydration needs post a match session.”

Exercise is another crucial aspect,which helps a sportsperson maintain his or her fitness. “Heavy work-out,during off season,not only helps to maintain fitness but also helps in avoiding extra weight-gain. It’s true that in off-periods both — balanced diet and exercise — get neglected and one finds it difficult to get used to swift movements on field. “We avoid heavy work-out sessions,especially in gym,a day prior to a match. But gymming throughout the year helps me and keeps me ready for any number of matches,” he says.Divulging into his fitness secrets further he says,“Stretching helps to maintain the elasticity of muscles. Hence every afternoon after heavy exercise we go for some stretching exercises. To name a few,we do standing high-leg bent knee stretch,elbow and thigh stretch. Apart from maintaining and improving flexibility in the upper body,stretching also helps to prevent overuse injury. Aerobic sessions,running and swimming are also included in my training schedule.”