In the afternoon, the temperature in Ahmedabad is 34 to 37 degrees Celsius. The Indian team had to field for almost two days in such heat. The management made special arrangements to keep the cricketers healthy. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli are being given watermelons during the break.
Cricketers are sweating profusely in Ahmedabad heat. Fielding under the hot sun all day has left the body with a lot of water. It is important to keep the cricketers healthy and hydrated in this situation. When excess water leaves the body, there is a possibility of muscle tension. The Indian team management took special measures to maintain the amount of water in the body of the cricketers. During the drinks break on Friday, apart from water, they send energy drinks, watermelons for the cricketers. Mohammad Siraj brought plenty of cut watermelons to the field for his teammates.
Watermelons to balance the PH level
Why are cricketers being fed Watermelons? A person associated with the Indian team said,
“Fresh fruits have been decided to maintain the water content in the body during the dry summer. After noon the temperature is very high. In this situation it is important to maintain the level of ‘PH’ of the body. Juicy fruits in such hot weather help to maintain water content in the body as well as increase energy.”
Cricketers eating fruit during the game is nothing new. May be not watermelons, but fast bowlers often eat bananas during the game. Because they cannot bowl if they eat too much. Bowling five or six consecutive overs consumes a lot of calories. Sweating is also profuse. So they eat bananas or energy bars during the game.
What fruit the cricketers eat depends on where and what kind of weather they are playing. The dieticians choose truits from those that are readily available in that city. But bananas are available almost everywhere. So bananas and various seasonal fruits are there in the diet of cricketers. Availability of Watermelons won’t e big deal in humid places like Ahmedabad.
