His line, length and delivery are as good as it could get and is one of the finest bowlers in the current Indian cricket team. Bhuvneshwar Kumar aka Bhuvi, who is currently in Noida with his family, says, “Lockdown has been the same for me as it has been for others.” He further adds, “It is a little unusual because we don’t get to spend so much time at home. But I have got to be with my family, which usually cricketers don’t get to do due to our match schedules throughout the year. Usually, when I used to come back home after a series, I would have a lot of free time, but in this lockdown “kuch bhi free time nahi tha (laughs).”
Kumar has been determined to stay fit and healthy in the last four months. About his fitness regime, he says, “I have a few gym equipments at home, and for the last one month or so, I have been going for a run to a nearby park. [The focus is] stay fit so that when I go back to the ground, I am at the same level as I was before the lockdown.”
The 30-year-old medium-fast bowler, who tried his hands at cooking and “enjoyed it the most”, admits that at times, it was hard to motivate himself. “Initially, I was very motivated because I was looking at this lockdown as a time to improve myself. So, after a few weeks in, when I didn’t have enough equipments, it was hard to motivate myself. There was a time where I was not at all motivated. However, then the thought kicked in that ‘you are playing for your country and that you have to do things differently’. That thought itself motivates you,” he shares.
Cricket is more than just a sport to many in our country. And cricketers including Kumar understands the value that fans hold in each game Team India plays. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the sport, first time in its history, is being played behind closed doors. Ask Kumar how does he feel about it, and he says, “It will be unusual to play cricket behind closed doors. There is a different level of passion when it comes to cricket in India. However, due to the current situation, everyone knows that playing cricket is more important right now. Obviously, there is a different level of motivation that you get when you play in front of fans, but now, everyone just wants to play cricket doesn’t matter if it is behind closed doors or not.”
{{/usCountry}}Cricket is more than just a sport to many in our country. And cricketers including Kumar understands the value that fans hold in each game Team India plays. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the sport, first time in its history, is being played behind closed doors. Ask Kumar how does he feel about it, and he says, “It will be unusual to play cricket behind closed doors. There is a different level of passion when it comes to cricket in India. However, due to the current situation, everyone knows that playing cricket is more important right now. Obviously, there is a different level of motivation that you get when you play in front of fans, but now, everyone just wants to play cricket doesn’t matter if it is behind closed doors or not.”
{{/usCountry}}Kumar, who states that the whole team is one big family, says that they have all been in touch in some way or the other. “We have all been in touch through WhatsApp. We keep our group alive with some funny forwards or memes or even if someone finds something useful on social media.”
About his favourite choice of sports goods, he says, ”ASICS has been my first choice of sports goods since a long time. They not only take an athlete’s inputs in customising the footwear according to their requirements, the products have state-of-the-art technology and provide the perfect fit for any category.” He further adds, “I have been associated with ASICS for close to three years now and they have always supported me through my journey as a Cricket player. Their products have been used worldwide in not only Cricket but so many other sports as well. Also, it is one of the first brands to introduce the concept of providing the right footwear for consumers with over-pronated or under pronated feet.”