Speaking in an interview with The Times Of India earlier this week, Anushman Bali, executive chef at Leela Palace, Chennai, divulged how cricketers aren’t binging on alcohol during the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.
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Even though post-match drinking sessions, including the ones involving the presence of opponents, are quite common in the sport of cricket, it doesn’t require a lot of explanation to understand why players are refraining from hitting the bottle. As per Bali, the only time when cricketers have indulged in the consumption of alcohol (in a moderate quantity though) during this tournament is while celebrating victories.
“And there is no alcohol unless there is a win when there will be a little party,” Bali told The Times Of India.
It is worth of a mention that regular consumption of alcohol can adversely affect an athlete’s performance. The presence of booze in a human body usually leads to dehydration, muscle cramps, slow reflexes and delayed recovery.
Therefore, it isn’t advisable for cricketers especially in the middle of a global tournament. Additionally, unlike some cases which have happened in the past, no player would want to allure any unnecessary controversy on the back of doing something uncalled for under the influence of alcohol.
What Are Cricketers Eating During 2023 World Cup?
New Zealand, who have won a couple of matches at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, are abstaining themselves from stuffing down Indian curries. Additionally, both the trans-tasman rivals prefer steamed or sauteed vegetables with steamed fish or chicken during lunch. Irrespective of the team, a commonality between each one of them is a fondness for high-protein and low-carb food items.
New Zealand batter Devon Conway, on the contrary, is an exception who doesn’t mind eating parantha (stuffed flatbread) or dosa in the morning. For someone who has been representing Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League for a couple of years now, an inclination for dosa isn’t surprising by any means.
As far as the Indian cricket team is concerned, “millet” has a constant part of their dietary requirement during this World Cup. As a vegan, former India captain Virat Kohli, in particular, has a leaning towards vegetable-based proteins.
“Virat [Kohli] doesn’t eat meat and so we went for steamed foods, like vegetarian dim sums, and other vegetable-based proteins, like soya, mock meats, and lean proteins, like tofu for him. We include as little dairy as possible in his meals,” the chef added.
Because ICC tournaments are accompanied with cosmic expectations, cricketers aim at ticking all boxes in order to be in best shapes and perform in an optimal manner. Legendary captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who had led India to an ODI World Cup in 2011, used to eat khichdi during that tournament.
