..........Sorry for the regional reference, but it has some dialogues in Bengali, which many ppl on this DG may not comprehend.
FIT AND FRANKFIT AND FINESourav the fighter is back for one final battle. With another year’s contract left for Kolkata Knight Riders, he feels he has a point to prove. T20, they say is meant for the young Turks. But don’t dare tell Sourav that.
So, early in the morning he slips on his training shoes, parks his new BMW at Eden Gardens and gets down to the good old grind of arduous fitness work. With his sights set on a memorable swansong, the man means business — yet again.
Sourav is eyeing a sharper, leaner and stronger look. The ageing Bengal tiger is hungry. Chinmoy Roy, his trainer, provides t2 an exclusive peek into the KKR skipper’s Mission Fitness...
bye-bye body fatIt’s no secret that Dada loves his food, especially biryani and Bengali dishes. But carrying generous body fat on the ground is like carrying an extra burden on your shoulder. So Sourav has ceased gorging on delicacies he loves and he now meticulously selects his food. A couple of chappatis, vegetables and salad is his frugal dinner.
On the runJust before Puja, Sourav and I hit the road for a 35-minute run parallel to the river through the Fort William army camp. The sky was murky and the footpaths dirty. Sourav’s first reaction was: “Had it been England, this road-running would have been invigorating purely because of the ambience.”
But the depressing running course on the Outram Ghat Road couldn’t dampen his spirit. Sourav, after all, thrives in adversity. The sight of their favourite son out in the open sparked disbelief. Curious comments flew from the bystanders to the armymen. One armyman said: “Dada ek cup cha kheye jaben? (Dada have a cup of tea?).”
Sourav managed a smile. He gasped a bit midway but kept running with gusto. It was a cloudy day and as we hit the High Court ground there was slush from the overnight rain. But that could not slow him down. Some club footballers practising there cheered him along. Then, we reached Eden Gardens.
Sourav — despite being on camera for Dadagiri these days — prefers running in the sun on the park than pounding cardio machines in a gym. “The game is played on the ground and under the sun. What’s the point in hiding in the air-conditioned gym? A sportsman must run in the open unless he is constrained by weather,” stresses Sourav.
Go for cardioIn my five-year association with him, I have grown to admire many things about Sourav. One of them is his ability to take things in his stride. When the Eden Gardens is not available because of rain or other reasons, he never frets or grumbles. A small patch next to the indoor hall at Eden is good enough for him to do shuttle runs and some agility work. Circumstances clearly do not make the man, they reveal him.
Sourav’s cardio training has specific targets. He uses a Polar heart rate monitor and we always check whether he hits the desired target and also the maximum training heart rate. His interval training ranges between 2 minutes fast and 2 minutes slow to shuttle routine of 30 seconds duration or 3-4 runs. Since I love variety, on certain days I push him for 30x30 metre cross drills or 20x20 metre pattern drill.
s for strengthCricket is a power sport and the T20 format is dominated by power. A fair chunk of Sourav’s strength training regimen is power lifting. And unless you see the man in the gym it’s hard to believe his lifting prowess.
Sourav often shares the gym with the Bengal Ranji team. Some of my new-generation power workouts for the Bengal boys are extremely challenging. If Sourav spots a youngster doing a rotational core exercise like barbell torque or a complex box jump, he urges me to include that in his set and eventually does it in style.
He has mastered quality exercises like hang snatch, push-press, split squat jump and depth drop push-up. In fitness, strength is Sourav’s forte and not only can he lift 80 per cent of his body weight in pressing, his form and technique is getting better by the day. I stress on core stability. Sourav realises its value and apart from his favourite crunches he doesn’t mind doing those rotational planks and heel raise bridges.
Big-stage playerAll batsmen require quick footwork. And the T20 format demands lightning speed. Sourav and I are aware of this. On the speed-training days, ladder drills form the base of our training. Ladder work increases stride frequency and reduces ground contact time. Resistance runs and other advanced speed drills follow.
During speed work when I exhort him with words like ‘Come on, go faster’, he jibes, “Man, at 37, I am an old horse.” My riposte is, ‘You are like wine. The older the better.’
Sourav loves competing with the young legs in the Bengal Ranji team. He often joins the morning training and keeps pace with his KKR teammates from Bengal. During recovery between a drill, I pose a teaser, “What motivates you to train so passionately?” Sourav’s reply? “Once I visualise the packed stands during an IPL match, my adrenaline starts pumping.”
Sourav is a big-stage player. He loves to perform in an amphitheatre. His commitment is commendable. The other day he finished training and just after half an hour’s break walked straight into the nets. Just like he used to when he was striving for a comeback.
So, watch out, Sourav is back. Again.
Tolly Tidbit: Muscle building is never our objective, but once he entered showbiz, during an exercise break I asked him: “In Tollywood, which male physique do you admire?” Sourav’s answer: “I like Tota Roy Chowdhury’s lean look.”
Chinmoy: What motivates you to train so passionately?
Sourav: Once I visualise the packed stands during an IPL match, my adrenaline starts pumping.
Chinmoy: Come on, go faster.
Sourav: Man, at 37, I am an old horse.
FRANK AND FLAMBOYANTFrom the “jhamela” called Greg Chappell to his Bangla tuition partner called Rituparna Sengupta — Dada unplugged on Dadagiri
“Puro mone holo Mrs Brett Lee”( felt like Mrs. Brett Lee) (when a contestant ran up enthusiastically and vigorously shakes his hand).
“Chhatri-rai bolechhe toh?”( hope it is only the students, who are saying this?) (when a schoolteacher conveys this message from her students: “Maathey khub aggressive chhile. Ekhon premik- premik hoye gechho.” Needless to say, the teacher blushes a deep shade of crimson).
Aajkaal kar meyeder dhoirjyo kom.
Didi term ta kintu besh powerful.
Ki acting!…ki presence!…(about Amitabh Bachchan when a still from Sarkar was shown).
Aage bolbe toh, (Greg) Chappell ke pathiye ditam Golden Temple-ey (when a participant describes how a Sikh temple-guard at the Golden Temple was angry about Sourav being dropped from the national team).
Greg Chappell kichhui koreni. Shudhu koek maash jhamela kore gechhilo (when someone asks him about the Greg Chappell episode)
I have seen Sachin Tendulkar crying for not winning matches (on everyone going through a tough phase in life).
I always used to wear the left pad before I wore the right one. Aamar right pocket-ey red piece of cloth thakto (about his superstitions while batting).
Jara Behala-e thake tara na hoy shob shomoy chhoy maare na hoy chhoy-er jonno khele (when a contestant from Behala opted to answer a question worth six points).
Aami dekhabo… erom bhabe dariye thakte hoy (about the bor baran( groom welcoming) ritual at a Bengali wedding).
Jab Knight Riders pehle saal haar raha tha, main sirf udhar hi baitha rehta tha (when a picture of the Kalighat temple was shown during the Irfan Pathan-Sreesanth episode).
It is the best feeling for a sportsman. Nothing can beat that feeling (about his debut in international cricket).
Priyanka (Chopra) Akshay (Kumar) ke baju mein itni khubsoorat nahin lag rahi thi, jitna yahaan lag rahi hai (when a Priyanka-Sreesanth picture was shown).
Akshay Kumar hi dost hai tera? Mere jaisa haalat kharab ho gaya hai? (when Sreesanth insisted that Akshay Kumar and not Priyanka Chopra is his friend).
Is mein galti kya hai? (on Irfan Pathan being kissed by a female fan in Calcutta in August).
I have travelled in unreserved compartments during my Under-15 days.
I am very sensitive about tea. During tours, nijer cha nije baniye khetam. Ota aamar khub relaxing lagto. Aami ekhono Darjeeling tea carry kori.
Eta na holeo parto. Moner jor emniteo kora jeto (on the Greg Chappell episode).
Ota aamar garite roj baaje… Brishti paaye paaye gaanta aami shokal bikel shuni (to singer Shubhomita, a contestant).
Life-er policy: ja dekhbe tai bolbe... ja dekhbe na ta bolbe na.
Aami kono fast bowler-er taak dekhini keno?( why haven't I seen a bald headed fast bowler?) (to a doctor when the topic of hair grafting cropped up).
RAPID FIREFavourite Satyajit Ray film — Sonar Kella.
Favourite Satyajit Ray character — Jatayu.
Oft-used words — Darun darun, theek achche and haaaan!
Biggest regret — “Not winning the World Cup, especially when we were so close (in 2003).”
Favourite biryani place — Arsalan.
Favourite drink on Dadagiri sets — Red Bull and Diet Coke.
When not shooting on sets — Watches cricket or soccer.
Mission after retirement — Eat, sleep and have fun. “I want to take off for three to four months (after the first season of Dadagiri).”
PLUS * Doesn’t get lunch from home but shares unit food.
* Was a Manchester United fan till David Beckham left for Real Madrid.
* “Amaar chokher power minus one. I have been wearing contact lenses since 1994.”
* “Rituparna (Sengupta) aar aami ek saathe Bangla tuitions nitam.”
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091210/jsp/entertainment/story_11843356.jsp
AuthorTopic: A nice article for Ganguly's bong fans (Read 454 times)
February 02, 2006, 09:50:42 AM