The Indian cricket team, currently considered as one of the fittest international teams around the globe, goes through a series of fitness drills during practice sessions. Playing football to warm-up has been like a norm for Virat Kohli and Co. and is considered one of the major parameters to judge a player's fitness. The current team think tank, coach Ravi Shastri, skipper Virat Kohli and chairman of selectors MSK Prasad have made it clear that fitness standards are non-negotiable. If reports are to be believed, the major reason for Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina's ouster for the Sri Lanka One Day International series was their fitness levels.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday tweeted pictures of India's football session as the team prepare for the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Dambulla, on Friday.
Former India captain MS Dhoni loves to play football, we all know and leaves no stone unturned to give his best in this game. On the other hand, India skipper Virat Kohli, who is by-far the fittest cricketer in the Indian team is known to give tough competition to Dhoni. The Indian board couldn't resist sharing the football rivalry between the two stars and wrote," It was @imVkohli vs @msdhoni vs @klrahul11 at the football today. #SLvIND."
India will play a five-match One-day International series and one-off Twenty20 against Sri Lanka. The ODI series begins on August 20 at Dambulla and the last one is on September 3 at Colombo. The only T20I will be played there on September 6.