Ranking the 10 fittest Indian cricket players

Gone are the days when cricket players would walk out with potbellies, be content with a single when there was a chance to sneak in an extra run, or attempt to dive full-tilt for a ball that would scamper past them.

In what sounds like a proper no-brainer, cricket's evolved over the years and so has fitness standards. The current breed is a lean, muscled, six-pack flaunting bunch who have taken the game to a whole new level, courtesy of their staggering fitness levels.

Indian cricketers have taken those fitness levels a notch higher and have used that to supplement their game as well. This article takes a look at ten of the fittest cricket players in the side.

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#1 Virat Kohli- Leading from the front

The Indian skipper hasn't had butter chicken for years by his own admission and the result is a toned and insanely fit physique that helps him dish out one impeccable performance after another.

Virat Kohli has set the bar high with his fitness regime for others to catch up. He has touched the score of 19 on the Yo-Yo test.

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#2 MS Dhoni - Age is just a myth in cricket

He may not don Indian blue, but the sleeve-splitting biceps and brute power MS Dhoni unleashes in the IPL is a classic example of how fit the man is. At 39, Dhoni is an example for upcoming cricket players to stay fit.

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#3 Ravindra Jadeja- Live wire

Jadeja's reflexes are a thing of envy. The Saurashtra all-rounder finds himself ranked third on our list for the sole reason that his hand-eye co-ordination is way better than most players in the setup.

His lean, chiseled frame makes him more agile on the field and he's got enough in him to power the ball over the rope at crucial junctures of the game.

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#4 Manish Pandey- Mercurial with a Yo-Yo score of 19.2

Manish Pandey may have been in and out of the Indian cricket team, but it is surely not because of any fitness issues. He is a gun fielder and a hard-hitting batsman who has been one of the team's fittest cricket players. Like Jadeja, he makes the cut in the top five thanks to his impressive stamina levels.

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#5 Hardik Pandya- Lithe and deadly

The back issue may have been the Baroda all-rounder's Achilles heel in recent times, but Hardik Pandya is deadly with the bat and has the endurance levels of a greyhound.

His ability to strike cleanly comes from the power he generates from the hips and the core and that makes him the fifth-ranked cricket player on our list.

KL Rahul and Navdeep Saini make the cut in our Top 10 ranked fittest cricket players

#6 KL Rahul

The Karnataka cricketer is more than just a flamboyant batsman. KL Rahul is one of the fittest player in the circuit. The wicketkeeper bat is no slouch when it comes to staying healthy and strong. He's ranked sixth on our list.

Rahul He was the first Indian cricket player to score a century on One Day International debut, and the third to score a century in all three formats of the game.

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#7 Jasprit Bumrah-Indian cricket's fittest quick

Staying fit is paramount for a fast bowler's longevity in cricket and Jasprit Bumrah sets the bar when it comes to fit fast quicks. The pacer is one of those cricketers who has escaped injuries due to his impressive fitness levels.

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#8 Navdeep Saini

Much of the pace stems from his ability to generate power from his core. Saini was a stellar find for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL and the pacer with his abs to flaunt is one of the strongest bowlers in the side.

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#9 Mayank Agarwal

Agarwal is the third Karnataka batsman to make the cut in our list of top-ranked cricket players. He may have missed out on the WTC final against New Zealand, but an injury to Shubman Gill makes him one of the prime players to open with Rohit Sharma.

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#10 Suryakumar Yadav

The Mumbai batsman has made a name for himself for those audacious shots he plays in the IPL. The power behind those booming hits comes from the hard yards he's put in the gym over the years.

The upcoming series against Sri Lanka provides him with the perfect opportunity to cement his place in the ODI side and also make a case for the upcoming ICC World T20 slated to take place later this year.